




Class 

Rnnk 

CoipglitN? 

COPyRIGHT DEPOSrr. 


f 


{ 








B V r :■ ^ - . 4.-^ ' :-,rj3t,4 iVJ 

P-T ■'- ■• ■■ "• ; ■' ■r 

■Li? '_^ . . a^J^, 

^^T'; t •, . Ivv.- 







ilS0P :,, 


M^ 


if 





1 i 


>A 


V4l 


c 


iJ ■ £•:■ -■■' rfflwfc^Si 

c *'■* l<jH|rvy^^«V 






1 2 


\i 




s - 






'iS 






.#«< . rz" 


% ("v 


** W 


VT^ 


SM 






. t » r^ < ' > 

i ' '^‘- 

. .fcX 'g ■ >'■ ■ . ’ 

'r^ f *• / •' 'f>**®* I 




<5 


r • .ir 




% 


i r 




-Cl 


■k- 


L,- t 




't’OK 


»C 


r j»- 




A ;5i>; (> 


w . j ^ 
A ^T:. 


V, i. 




* 




r^- 




'A. 


*A 




▼ * JL. 

as. 




%i 








a* 


Sv 


'k V’jSi 




■% 







'.i' 











. ‘‘F 


'V 


T?* 



} ‘ • 




I 4 


sKft Jt** S»^ 


■' \ '^ 3 '^’ ■ 

I J. \ i . 


i. 





j » 


■wlW*^^- 


jjS 'i'* • 



J •^: 


J 



Wi> 








. , 

iW^V v-'V riL' 

V 


■'U 


-S- ! , » 





1 j 


i'i '.< •' 





♦ 


“■’i'm 




Vi- 1/ 









■(.*• f 


.**1^ .’,i- 



■ ■ * 




'I • 


k- ' 


ML i' r4r N 


:f 


li *. 




4 











»/■■■>■'' yr.' '•■..;«■ yy • ■■ 




J'l :';;' v...':'':, " •' 


i' ■ t 




'. r '. 


v<'*' WV-V'i*' ■' <'iV*tW 1#' ^ •Sn*'*;;-' i .'...y, '• 

yiiy; ■■:! 




1 :vA‘. ' 

1 / -^'r* ', 


^ . .w 


.yV*' iWi 
v r •• 


w 


fiy 


>>> 


m 




SiMW 

>' ■(•‘mT ilvi' ‘i ! ii* I y-' • 

' I I* l.li' iJ <1* I. ■ ' I ' f. « » iFi » I i 




.i'lxl 


. .X 5 -;; I 

• ■ ...y ■’ '' "'.-■My y^V-.-: ■; "•, ;;• 

'.yT:;m.y y 'y./-,.' ' • 


' f '1 


V V < ; 


•i .' ' ‘r- 

-• .j'vV' 



W'-W <' ’• ■■ 

1 ' • '.' •' I 



■«'yyyR:y 











'<A 


riVil 




ry:^ 0 Wm 


mmyrnm:. r 

tt;TO i'" , y' - 


.'1 




.; . k' ;■. *&''!'■’ .t''^i''>;yy •'■<■. . 

viivkv.', ^^' iK'iyt '• 

• '.St. 

' y*.‘; 



'-rr- V ’’ / Kill 

Ki^;v.' ‘.ry: 


', '. \ y' v y >■ 

|■V'l^"^ . ‘■"•■'Vi.'''" ■ ■ ';'■ 

■;i: :", '■,' 

^:'AyK 


BIMII'I, '» 'A • *'1 j l 'll' ■ 

■■■' 


■a^ , 7 *. s 


iii'lvV f'/ S';. ,A'ri,':o <i»:*X',n/' . • .. . .y 

// •Wr'kt^fK'v »ii^ 

Ifefeytsyiyte:.^ 


'W/y* ■y'-Y' ^ " •■ ■' 

y (I s ‘/'A‘ .,v .• ‘'i-'*' ' 

\' ! ’- jK'» '' ' 


,1 f'ds v ■ 


mmy yi y 

'•■ y' '," ", A, . ■ ’ '' iflMn, ^ L* ') ■ . ■< y ;/' ,i"R '. • ;il.'>) 




:\ 


The King and the Cross 


A Tale of Old and New France 




BY 


GEORGE ALFRED STRINGER 
%\ 

AND 


ELIZA C. WALKER STRINGER 

t 




BOSTON 

EASTERN PUBLISHING COMPANY 
1901 


THE OF 

GCN'C5?£S8, 
Two 0(j.>iE8 Received 

JAN. 19 1902 

Coi^KIOMT ENTRy 

R*.v. 

CLASS Q, XXL NO. 
COPY a 


Copyrighted, 1901 
by 

George Alfred Stringer 

All rights reserved 


All Lovers of the Historic Past of 
Old and New France 

Zbcec ipagea are irnscrtbeJ) 





Preface 


S EARCHING through the muniment-room of the once 
famous baronial house of Rosemanhurst, we chanced 
upon a small leathern box containing old diaries, memo- 
randa and letters, written by hands long since dust, with 
ink whose freshness has been faded for many a year, on 
pages grown yellow with age. 

They were apparently of no importance, but proved 
on a closer examination to be of such a pleasing charac- 
ter and of so much historical interest, that we have 
essayed to link the whole together and describe the his- 
tory and adventures of a young, enthusiastic Parisian of 
the time of Louis XIV, and of the almost superhuman 
exertions and self-abnegation of the Jesuits in their work 
among the savages of Canada, especially among the 
Hurons. 

A distinguished historian has remarked, that ‘‘as a 
bold and hardy pioneer of the wilderness, the French- 
man in America has rarely found his match,” and the 
experiences and adventures of Charles Servien and his 
friends, are a distinct type of the class of men alluded 
to. 

The scenes of our story are laid both in the Old 
World and the New. The historical facts frequently 
mentioned can be relied upon for accuracy, while the 
5 


6 


PREFACE 


love tale which runs through the narrative like a golden 
thread, invests the whole with the charm belonging to a 
picturesque episode of a long past time. 

We send out this book with the fond hope, that it may 
be of permanent value, especially in all that relates to 
the red men who once roamed through the vast forests 
of America; in the zealous and unwearying labors of 
the gentle nuns among the Indian women and children, 
and in the heroic and remarkable achievements of de- 
voted men belonging to that famed and wonderful organ- 
ization, the Society of Jesus, at a most noteworthy pe- 
riod of the world’s history. 

George Alfred Stringer. 

Eliza C. Walker Stringer. 


Buffalo f New York^ 1901 . 


The King and the Cross 


CHAPTER I 



ET the imagination of the reader go back to the 


' middle of the seventeenth century, and pause for a 
moment in the gay capital of France. It is near the be- 
ginning of the reign of Louis XIV. A young man 
dressed in the fashion of the time with a Spanish man- 
dillon ^ thrown over his arm, is walking with a slow and 
thoughtful step past the Hotel de Ponthieu,^ situated on 
one of the principal streets of the city. It is early in the 
evening, and the blaze of the cheerful lamp has not yet 
taken the place of the departed sunlight. He is met by 
one of his companions. 

^‘How now, mon camarade said his friend as he 
approached him; whither are you bound with such 
slow and solemn march? ” 

^‘Thou hast crossed my path, my dear Maurice, at a 

J A mandillon was a sort of cloak made in three pieces, one of 
which hung down the back, and the other two upon the shoulders. 

2 The Hotel de Ponthieu is, in our day, known as No. 114 Rue 
de Rivoli. It belonged to Antoine Dubourg, Chancellor of France. 


7 


8 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


time when I least expected it,” answered Enrico. ** In- 
deed I was hoping to pass unseen ; but since we have 
met unexpectedly, you shall be the companion of my 
walk, and chance shall guide our steps. Any course we 
will pursue, so that we but pass an evening free from 
care.” 

Enrico was descended from an ancient and illustrious 
family of Spanish origin, who, in the days of their pros- 
perity dwelt in one of the most beautiful parts of Nor- 
mandy. The pride of birth had taken possession of 
their hearts, and they might as well have been deprived 
of the blood that flowed in their veins, as of this inherit- 
ance of so many generations. Retaining in their minds 
this one idea, others of more practical importance were 
lost sight of. The large flelds which had been brought 
within their enclosures under the influence of the feudal 
system, which favored the rich at the expense of the 
poor, had become barren and unproductive for want of 
proper cultivation. The large expenses of the liberal 
establishment which they always maintained, had in- 
volved them in an abyss of debt and embarrassment 
from which they were utterly unable to extricate them- 
selves ; so acre by acre, field after field was swept away. 
The old family mansion standing in the most beautiful 
spot on the banks of the Seine, almost with the com- 
manding dignity of a baronial castle, overlooked the 
whole of their once large possessions. It was with a 
feeling of heaviness, almost equal to the last sigh of the 
Moor as he cast a long lingering look back upon the de- 
lightful valleys of Spain when driven out by the invader, 
that the father of Enrico, the last occupant of these pos- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


9 


sessions, turned his back upon them and gathered his 
little family together in the suburbs of Paris. 

Enrico was at this period just entering manhood, and 
employment was sought for him in the heart of the city. 
He was ardent and impulsive in his nature, ambitious of 
sustaining the pride of his ancestral name, and, though 
not entirely reckless, was careless of his reputation, easily 
satisfied with himself and not overscrupulous about the 
motives of his conduct. A resolution formed to-day might 
be broken to-morrow, and though he regarded all external 
appearances, to disregard the voice of conscience gave 
him no pain. If he had not inherited the fortunes, upon 
him had descended all the pride of his ancestors. His 
associations and those of his family had been with the 
rich and he now sought his companions among the same 
class, determined not to bow in submission to his poverty, 
to those of more ample fortunes. Whatever amusement 
came within the means of his enjoyment, he was sure to 
be the gayest of the gay. He knew how to accommo- 
date himself to circumstances, and sometimes he could 
even create and control the environment which to others 
seemed the result of mere chance. 

Maurice was nearly of the same age as Enrico, but 
was a somewhat different character. He was less ardent, 
less generous, less proud, and less susceptible of the 
nobler and better sentiments of human nature. His 
claims to high and honorable birth were inferior to 
those of his friend, but his present fortune was far 
greater. Of a less lively and volatile spirit, he was less 
subject to the depression and elevation of feeling that 
characterized Enrico. 


10 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


They walked on with scarcely a thought of the course 
they were taking. Street after street was passed in rapid 
succession. The light of day had now entirely gone and 
thousands of lamps were sending their flickering rays 
through the uncurtained windows, giving an uncertain 
light to their path. 

‘^How rapidly,” said Enrico, ^‘the time passes! It 
seems but a moment since I was meditating upon the 
beauties of the setting sun, as his last rays shot down 
upon the waters of the Seine, or lit up with golden hues 
the spires and domes of the city.” 

Your mind must have been running on something 
disconnected with our rambles,” replied Maurice. You 
moralize upon the shortness of time more like a philoso- 
pher than the gay and pleasure loving companion I have 
known you.” 

'‘I was thinking,” said Enrico, and here he paused as 
if doubtful whether he would let his friend into the se- 
cret of his thoughts, or whether he himself could give 
any rational account of them. 

^‘Thinking! were you?” said Maurice, ‘‘and pray 
what burthen lies so heavily on your mind, that you can- 
not pass an hour with a friend without being lost in abstrac- 
tion? Shake off your thoughts, and let us enjoy our- 
selves as we have been accustomed to do.” 

Enrico confessed that he had a secret in his bosom, 
but he refused at first to disclose it to his most intimate 
friend. He however made an effort to banish the thought 
from his mind, and seeming to yield himself to the di- 
rection of Maurice, he passed on with an assumed air of 
cheerfulness. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


11 


Suddenly their attention was arrested by the sound of 
music. They paused to ascertain its direction, and 
found that it issued from the balcony of a house near by. 
They were not mistaken in their first impressions ; the 
sounds they heard were those of a lovely girlish voice 
mingled with the soft notes of the guitar. Maurice in- 
dulged freely in expressions of admiration, while Enrico 
seemed to check his freedom, fearing his words would be 
heard by her from whom the music proceeded. He was 
not unknown to the fair lady who was thus pouring out 
her soul in song. He had unintentionally passed that 
way, and Maurice thought he discovered in Enrico’s de- 
meanor the cause of his disquietude. A clue was given 
to the secret which had worked for a time a complete 
change in his friend’s deportment. 

now see the current of your thoughts,” said 
Maurice. ^‘Here is a key that will unlock the mystery; 
confess that I am right in my suspicions, or I will by 
some device find out the fair one who has enchanted us, 
and be myself the hero of a drama not yet enacted.” 

Enrico knew too well the spirit of his friend to doubt 
that what he said, in jest though it was, would be at- 
tempted by him. 

*‘You have read the depths of my heart, Maurice,” 
Enrico replied, as he turned away from the house. 
‘‘But I charge you, as you value my friendship, to keep 
the secret I shall confide to you. Dost promise ?” 

“Upon the honour of a man,” replied Maurice. 

“Know thou,” said Enrico, “that the lady to whose 
voice we have listened, is the daughter of a wealthy but 
retired merchant, and will doubtless inherit the whole of 


12 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


his large fortune. She is alike the joy of her father’s 
house and heart. Her only brother has been disinherited 
by his father for opposing his wishes in an affair of busi- 
ness ; and in revenge for his father’s treatment, he is re- 
solved to favour my plans, and if I shall gain the hand, 
as I already have the heart, of his sister, he shall not be 
the worse for lending me his aid.” 

But how found you out the place of this warbler, 
and how came you acquainted with her? ” asked Mau- 
rice, looking suspiciously at his friend. 

had frequently met her brother at the playhouses, 
and we had often encountered each other in the sports 
common to those of our age and condition in life. One 
day, finding that he refused to wager the little trifles he 
had been accustomed to do, on the event of a game, I 
discovered that the cause lay in the parsimony of his 
father.” 

‘^But the daughter!” interrupted Maurice; ‘^how 
came you to know her? ” 

‘^You must know then,” replied Enrico, “that her 
father, though she is the pride of his house, thinks quite 
as much, if not more, of his wealth than of his family. 
He speaks of his money with as much endearment as a 
fond father would of his children, calling the coins he 
has gathered together ‘ his little shiners ; his bright little 
ducats; his dear louts d'or,^ repeating the names over 
and over.” 

“But you forget,” said Maurice, “that I want to hear 
about the daughter, and not about her father’s wealth.” 

“Well, the daughter,” continued Enrico; “she was 
the only avenue through which the old man’s heart could 


13 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 

be reached. Charles knew this. He had himself noth- 
ing to hope from his father, as Pauline would inherit the 
whole of his fortune. He thought to make merchandise 
of his sister’s affections, and he so arranged it that I 
could meet her and become acquainted with her without 
exciting her suspicions, and without the knowledge of 
her father. My plan has succeeded well, so far as it has 
been developed ; but when I met you to-night, I was re- 
flecting upon a difficulty that is likely to come in my 
way. Scrvien, her father, has, I fear, caught the alarm 
and will be likely to oppose me. My own want of for- 
tune he will probably urge as the strongest objection, and 
besides, he knows my intimacy with the son, conse- 
quently he will be the more unyielding in his determina- 
tion on that account. I am engaged to meet young 
Servien at this hour at the caf6 in the Rue St. Denis 
when something more will be known; and as you may 
have the common interest of a friend in my success, you 
shall go with me.” 

The street in which they now were, was already 
streaked with shadows and with the streams of lamp- 
light that were poured into it from the windows on either 
side. Approaching the caf(§, they entered, and there in 
the farthest corner of a brilliantly lighted room, sat, by a 
small table, another of the cherished friends of Enrico, 
young Servien. 

** True as the sunlight on the dial,” said Enrico, grasp- 
ing his hand warmly. 

Never was there a more true-hearted man, or warmer 
friend than Charles Servien. He was instantly on his 
feet and the welcome grasp of Enrico was returned 


14 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


with a pressure that assured him of the sincerity of his 
friend. 

“ Here, Charles,” said Enrico, releasing the hand he 
had so firmly held, “is one who has been too long un- 
known to you. My friends, so true and so well tried 
should no longer be strangers.” 

Maurice bowed in token of assent, grasped the offered 
hand and the three were soon seated at the table. 
Charles had ordered some light refreshments which were 
soon before them. The delightful aroma of the coffee 
filled the room, and its exhilarating effects soon drove 
away the weariness of Enrico, but his companions saw that 
his buoyancy was not fully restored. A flask of old wine 
from the vintage of a former century was brought, and 
in the language of Charles, Enrico was himself again. 

Enrico now related to Charles the adventures of the 
evening, of his meeting with Maurice, and how he had 
imparted to him the secret of the sweet anticipations so 
dear to his heart. 

“My friendship for him,” said Enrico, “would not 
have permitted me to withhold it, had he not more than 
half made the discovery himself.” 

Maurice had not seen the object of Enrico’s adora- 
tion ; but had heard the sweet tones of her voice, had 
discovered at a glance the frankness of her brother 
Charles, and he could not help entering deeply into the 
feelings of Enrico. Never was an intimacy established 
among three persons of more dissimilar characters, or 
more lasting in its attachments. Enrico was by nature, 
gay, thoughtless and even rash. Maurice was of a less 
lively, but more discriminating mind ; while Charles had 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS 


15 


allowed resentment for the treatment of his father to take 
possession of every other faculty. 

After a moment’s pause Enrico informed them of the 
true state of the affair, adding that he. expected to meet 
with the strongest opposition from the father. As yet 
Enrico had had little intercourse with him, and they were 
scarcely known to each other. It would be enough to 
rouse the opposition of the old man to know that one des- 
titute of fortune aspired to the hand of his daughter, 
consequently the combined faculties of this trio were 
now to be put in requisition for the accomplishment of 
their purpose. Various were the plans that were pro- 
posed and discussed for disarming the father of his op- 
position, in case it should be manifested as strongly as 
they had reason to expect. Enrico was for carrying the 
war at once into the enemy’s camp ; but Maurice advised 
him to have recourse to stratagem.” 

<‘The game of love,” said Enrico, ^Ms like the art of 
war. Something of the military skill of the successful 
general is necessary in order to captivate the fair one, 
unless the field is open and all the circumstances are pro- 
pitious. Like an attack upon a strongly guarded fortress, 
she must be cautiously approached. Frequent marches 
and countermarches are necessary before the commence- 
ment of actual hostilities. Spies must be sent out to 
reconnoitre the ground. None but the most skillful 
should be employed.” 

would rather compare the art of love,” said Mau- 
rice, ^*to that of the successful diplomatist. Something 
else must first be talked of than the thing which is most 
desired. The value of the principal end to be gained 


16 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


must, for a time, be kept out of view. Instead of com' 
ing directly to the point, the way must be sought through 
indirect avenues. The winding path that is bordered 
with flowers must be followed. We are always delighted 
with meeting one whose first interview with us was con- 
nected with some pleasing circumstance. The society of 
one who has encountered us in a disagreeable situation is 
never desired. We must admire before we can love, and 
flatter before we can conquer.” 

would practice,” said Charles, “the arts of war 
and negotiation combined. There must be wisdom in 
council as well as courage in the field. The greatest 
hero can accomplish nothing unless his plans are properly 
matured; and the best concerted movements will be 
equally useless without the power of skillful execution. 
One may be able to mature the greatest schemes without 
the power of carrying them out in detail, but a general 
cannot be truly great without the ability to arrange all 
the parts, the proper execution of which makes the whole 
sum of his great profession. Listen to me, Enrico ! You 
have seen enough of my sister to be satisfied that your 
attachment to her may be true and lasting. You believe 
that your attentions have been properly appreciated, and 
that they will hereafter be received with a generous 
confidence.” 

“All that I believe.” 

“You have seen but little of my father? ” 

“Very little,” said Enrico. 

“ And he really knows as little of you ? ” 

“Yes,” said Enrico, “and nothing, I believe, un- 
favorable.” 


Kim AED TEE CROSS 17 

‘‘Well then,” continued Charles, “put yourself under 
my direction, and I will warrant success. Among the 
visitors at my father’s house is young Vallean, a man of 
fortune, and my father is desirous that he should be 
pleased with my sister. He is a man of more wealth 
than worth, of less mind than either ; and would make 
just such another sordid, miserly, money-loving man as 
my father. He will think of nothing but wealth, and in 
another twelvemonth, he will not have sentiment or feel- 
ing enough left to admire even the glorious light of the 
sun, unless he shall think that that great orb is resplendent 
with a glittering face of gold, and that it may one day 
drop down to the earth and be coined into ducats. I 
know that no negotiation has yet been entered upon, but 
I believe that such an event is not unexpected by my 
father. It is now late, and the plan I propose cannot be 
entered upon till to-morrow, when my father will be at 
the club where he sometimes goes to amuse himself and 
to turn a franc to his own advantage. You can then 
have an interview with my sister, when you can make 
arrangements for regular meetings with her without ex- 
citing any suspicion. A little deception must be prac- 
ticed, but Pauline must know nothing of that. Her 
sense of propriety, and her feelings of filial obedience 
would be shocked at the proposition of fraud. The 
confidence my father has in Pauline is such that the 
fortune intended for her is already secured to her, and 
the moment she shall be married, it will be entirely be- 
yond his reach or control. We will by some device 
induce him to go into the country where he has a large 
estate. A letter shall then be written to him purporting 


18 


tme king and the cross 


to come from Vallean, making proposals for Pauline, 
after which we will be governed by circumstances as they 
shall arise.” 

The plan being so far arranged, the three friends sepa- 
rated for the night, promising to meet again the next day. 
Behold them the following evening, Enrico and young 
Servien in a handsome salon with Pauline, at the house 
of her father. The reader has as yet heard of her only 
as an innocent and artless girl, and has doubtless become 
anxious to know more of her history. 

Pauline had arrived at the full period of womanhood 
when all those elements of beauty which are the gift of 
nature were fully developed. In her person were united 
a fine figure and all the graces of motion ; her mind 
possessed a lively quickness and alertness enhanced by 
the best education the day afforded, and her nature was 
gentle but unsuspecting. She had no idea of the fraud 
which was about to be practiced on her father. To him 
she had yielded the fullest obedience, and she would not 
have approved of the visit of Enrico at this time had she 
known that he sought an occasion when her father was 
absent. Had her quickness of perception been equal to 
the amiability of her disposition, she would have seen 
through the mask which concealed from her a part they 
had determined to play. 

*‘To what good fortune am I indebted for seeing you 
to-night, Charles? ” asked Pauline, when he and Enrico 
first entered. 

“ I knew that my father was absent, and for that rea- 
son,” said he, “have I taken this opportunity. You 
know that my presence is not agreeable to him.” 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


19 


has gone to the club,” said Pauline. wish 
he was here and that the father and son were more 
closely united.” 

“I should not deny myself the pleasure of seeing my 
sister,” Charles answered, “but I do not wish any further 
to excite the anger of my father. I regret the differences 
that exist between us, but I do not see how I can effect a 
reconciliation without a sacrifice of my own consistency 
and pride.” 

“It is a subject of serious affliction to me, Charles,” 
said Pauline, “ that a brother and sister cannot enjoy the 
society of each other.” 

“It may be regretted, but not remedied,” replied 
Charles. “If I cannot be to you what I have once 
been, I will do all I can to make reparation. My visits 
must be few and short ; and even now I cannot tarry 
long. Though I am nothing to you I leave you with 
one who will be more than a brother.” 

As he said this he rose hastily to take his leave, at the 
same time saying that he dared not protract his stay for 
fear his father should return and find him there ; but the 
real reason for his hasty departure was, that he wished to 
leave Pauline alone with Enrico, to whom was now pre- 
sented the first opportunity for many days of being alone 
with the object of his attachment. Had Pauline sup- 
posed it was, on the part of Enrico, a clandestine visit, 
she would have been alarmed. One who practices no 
deceit never looks for it in others ; she therefore suspected 
nothing, and acted with a perfect freedom and ease to 
which even Enrico, when in her society, had not been 
accustomed. But one thought stronger, deeper, and 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


20 , 

more interesting than all others now absorbed his at- 
tention. 

“I would, my dear Pauline,” said he, “know your 
mind on a subject dearer to me than life itself.” 

Pauline understood the full import of the remark. 
Words are not necessary to convey the messages of love, 
for there is a language that is softer and sweeter, nay, 
more solemn and impressive, as well as more compre- 
hensive than articulate sounds. With downcast eyes and 
a countenance glowing with excitement, she sat in silence, 
as if in doubt what reply it was becoming in her to make. 

Enrico continued, “I hope my words are fully under- 
stood ? ” 

“They are,” Pauline replied, “but I hardly know 
what answer to make. If my own feelings were the 
rule of action I could not be undecided. Motives of 
prudence would perhaps dictate a little delay. I would 
have the approbation of my father before making a 
positive determination.” 

Enrico sat for a moment absorbed in thought. He 
did not at first see how this difficult point could be 
avoided. He knew if she could be induced to deceive 
her father, she would soon learn to deceive him ; besides 
he did her the justice to believe that her moral sensibili- 
ties were so alive to what is just, true and pure, that it 
would be dangerous to suggest anything not in accord- 
ance with the strictest propriety. And he now recol- 
lected that in the person of Charles he had an active and 
zealous friend, whose mind was fertile in expedients 
and equal to any emergency. To him therefore would 
he look for the means of extricating himself from any 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


21 


difficult position in which he should happen to be placed. 
Enrico assented to all Pauline said in reference to her 
father ; and telling her he did not wish to have an inter- 
view with him till he had formed some opinion as to his 
feelings, they agreed to meet the next day at the house 
of a mutual friend. Thus they parted for the night. 


CHAPTER II 


S Enrico parted from Pauline, he was met by Mon- 



^ sieur Servien on the very threshold of his house, as 
he was entering it on his return, though neither was 
recognized by the other. 

^‘Whom did I meet, Pauline, just going from the 
house?” asked Servien. 

Pauline was a little confused by the inquiry, and with 
some embarrassment answered, that Charles had been 
there. 

Wretch,” cried Servien, that he should dare to 
come here in my absence when he has not the manliness 
to meet me by day ! But if I cannot correct his con- 
duct, I can at least punish it. My mind is fixed and 
will not be altered. He will get none of my money ! ” 

^‘I hope, father, you will yet be reconciled to him,” 
said Pauline, in a tone expressive of sorrow, but really 
only affected by the agitation created in her mind by the 
feeling that her father might be displeased, did he know 
that in his absence she had received a visit from one 
who was, to him at least, a stranger. 

Never!” replied Servien, with vehemence, **It 


22 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


could not be expected that I should make any conces- 
sions to him, and if he should make any to me after 
what has happened, I should doubt his sincerity. He 
has acted so stubbornly and so foolishly as regards his 
own interest, that any propositions he may make would 
be likely to be tainted with selfishness. He desires to 
obtain a portion of my property. He shall never touch 
even a single teston^ of my money.” 

As the old man said this, he muttered to himself about 
his shining coins, and cried aloud : ‘‘Charles shall not 
have you, he shall not ! ” till his voice became almost 
inaudible and finally died away. 

Servien was rich, and his riches had, in a measure, 
taken away his reason. With him wealth was every- 
thing, and worth without it was nothing. It would be 
difficult to say whose conduct was most to be censured, 
that of the father in disinheriting the son on frivolous 
grounds, or that of the son in seeking to revenge himself 
on his father when he himself was not wholly free from 
blame. But money is omnipotent; it controls individ- 
uals ; it governs all societies and communities of men ; 
it banishes that peace which belongs to a quiet mind ; 
nay, it can destroy the soul itself, and even conquer the 
world. 

Pauline met Enrico according to promise, and she was 
given to understand that he had taken measures through 
a mutual friend by which he thought a favorable impres- 
sion would be produced on the mind of Monsieur Ser- 
vien. It will be remembered that no opposition had as 
yet been manifested ; but they reasoned on general prin- 

1 Teston , — A small coin worth about eighteen pence sterling. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


23 


ciples in supposing that would be the case. Pauline’s 
father had heard of the fortune that young Vallean was 
likely to inherit ; and he knew that he was engaging in 
his person and agreeable in his manners. 

Charles had prepared a letter to be sent to him when 
he was absent from Paris attending to his estate, purport- 
ing, as had before been agreed upon, to be written by Val- 
lean. It was full of expressions of admiration for 
Pauline, and concluded by asking her hand in marriage. 
This letter had been brought to him by his old servant 
Pierre, who, it must not be thought from this circum- 
stance was more friendly to the interests of his young 
master, as he always called Charles, than to Monsieur 
Servien. It had been handed to Pierre, by an unknown 
person who informed him that he had brought it from 
Vallean, and that he would come the next day for an 
answer. The letter among other things stated that “ the 
wishes of Pauline had been consulted in preparing it, 
and that nothing was wanting but his approval.” 

Servien duly considered the proposition it contained, 
and as he thought he remembered, that at the last visit 
of Vallean, his daughter appeared more shy and con- 
fused than usual, he supposed it was because she was 
expecting just such a proposition, and so nothing was 
said to her at that time. An answer was however writ- 
ten by him which he handed to the faithful Pierre, 
complying fully with the proposal, and at the appointed 
hour the unknown messenger arrived, took the message 
and bore it directly to Charles Servien. This being 
done, the old man wrote to his daughter. 

^^And so,” said he, “you have had a proposal. I 


24 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


have just given my assent to it, and I hope you will be 
happy.” 

Pauline felt grateful to her father and she silently 
thanked him for the delicacy with which he had signified 
his approbation, and that he had so promptly commu- 
nicated it to her, not at all doubting that he referred to 
Enrico. 

Charles Servien was with Enrico, and both were re- 
joicing in the prospect of success. <*Ha!” exclaimed 
Charles, ‘‘I thought the old gentleman would take the 
bait,” as he broke the seal and read the answer, then 
continued: ‘*The rest of our plan must be executed 
with skill and dispatch. The wheels of our enterprise 
must be kept rolling, for if they are overtaken by any 
doubts in the mind of Pauline, or by the sharp and dis- 
trustful watchfulness of my exacting parent, the whole 
scheme will fail.” 

Enrico agreed with his friend Charles, and left the 
details of the arrangement with him. He would meet 
Pauline on the morrow, for now that Monsieur Servien 
thought the contract for her hand sealed with another, 
he would naturally be less watchful. She would be able 
to keep her appointment with Enrico, when he would 
caution her against mentioning their meeting, saying it 
might seem strange to Servien that he did not wait till 
his return. Pauline, however, apparently surprised him 
by communicating to him what she supposed would be 
joyful news, that her father had given his assent to their 
marriage. Enrico affected to receive it with becoming 
gratitude, and begged her to make his acknowledgments 
when she replied. She told him that she had written, 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


25 


overwhelmed her father with thanks, and that nothing 
more was needed than that he should present himself in 
person. 

“ Difficulties are flying before us,” said Pauline with 
evident signs of emotion. 

Yes,” answered Enrico, ^‘nothing like courage and 
true love to carry a point. How like beautiful visions 
of a dream seems this hour. Good angels are crowding 
around and whispering to us of the happiness that we 
are to enjoy. Let us make the most of these good 
omens,” said he, grasping her hand warmly. 

“ How can we be otherwise than happy,” asked Pau- 
line, since my father has given his consent with so 
much cordiality? ” 

*‘But I must return,” said Enrico, “I have already 
tarried too long. Farewell ! Pauline ; to-morrow we 
shall meet again. You will receive a message from me 
in the morning, and I shall ask permission of Monsieur 
Servien, that when he returns, on some future occasion, 
Charles may come with me. I hope our marriage day 
will bring with it the olive branch of peace between 
father and son.” 

‘‘Farewell ! Enrico,” replied Pauline, “ when we meet 
again, we will talk of the day and the hour that shall 
witness the union of our hands. But what need of 
that ? Our hearts are united, never more to be parted on 
earth, and I hope that our union will remain eternal in 
heaven.” 

When Enrico had taken his leave, he returned to ma- 
ture his plan with Charles. “ How are the signs to-day, 
Enrico ? ’ ’ asked he, as his friend entered the apartment. 


26 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


“All is propitious and Pauline is delighted with her 
father’s submission to her wishes. I have promised her 
to procure an invitation from him for you to return to his 
house, further, she has encouraged me that when we meet 
again, the wedding day shall be named. You say that 
we must not delay too long ; and I think we should not' be 
too hasty. Something should be sacrificed to appear- 
ances.” 

“I have been considering that,” replied Charles, 
“and I think a week’s delay all that is either necessary 
or prudent. Ask Pauline to have the day decided upon 
within that time. I will see that the matter is so agreed 
upon that we cannot fail of success. How shall it be 
arranged ? Let me consider. She is positively engaged 
to you ; and she thinks her father so understands it. He 
believes she is engaged to Vallean, and so is not on his 
guard against Enrico, but he must be kept away from 
home by some device. It will not do for him to watch 
us too closely, unsuspecting though he may be. I have 
it in my mind now ! His estate is in the country at a 
considerable distance from Paris. I will contrive that 
he shall be detained there by an opportunity of making a 
sale of it, which he has long been anxious to do.” 

“Well thought of,” said Enrico. “This difficulty 
had occurred to me, and I was at a loss how to get over 
it. Diplomacy and military tactics together ! I shall 
profit by your teaching and by my own experience, but I 
must now leave you to attend to some private affairs. 
To-morrow we shall see each other again.” 

To-morrow came, and with it the father of Pauline. 
Scarcely had the morning hour passed when Enrico re- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


27 


ceived a message from her requesting his immediate 
presence, and that he should bring her brother with him, 
which fact was instantly communicated to Charles. A 
little more managing was now to be done. Charles was 
to go first and assign as a reason for his haste his anxiety 
to meet with, and be reconciled to his father. Father 
and son met that day with apparent cordiality. Pauline 
was present to enjoy the meeting, and in her gladness at 
the event she even forgot for the moment to inquire for 
her betrothed. 

Pauline is to be married,” said Monsieur Servien ad- 
dressing himself to Charles, I have thought that such 
an event should not take place without your presence ; 
and at the solicitation of your sister I have invited you 
to return. What cannot be forgotten may be forgiven.” 

At this moment their conversation was interrupted by 
the entry of a stranger. It was Maurice, a young mer- 
chant and the friend of Enrico by whose procurement 
he had at this moment presented himself. He had, or 
pretended to have, business with Servien, which called 
them both away from the house for about an hour, but 
no sooner had they left than Enrico entered. Pauline 
received him with a smile of more than ordinary gayety, 
expressing to him her regret at the unexpected absence 
of her father. The main subject of their visit was soon 
entered upon. The wedding day was chosen for Thurs- 
day in the following week, and many little preliminaries 
were to be arranged. Most of these were to be left with 
Pauline and Monsieur Servien ; others were to be in the 
discretion of Enrico. One thing only was definitely 
settled. The marriage was to take place at the beautiful 


28 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Gothic church of Sainte Chapelle, that jewel of the 
twelfth century. 

Monsieur Servien when he returned found Pauline 
alone, and told her that he would have given himself up 
to the preparation for the interesting ceremony that was 
soon to take place ; but the business on which Maurice 
had called to see him required an immediate journey into 
the country to visit his estate. This had been precon- 
certed by Enrico, Charles and Maurice. Pauline had 
only time to say that Charles and her friend, mon ami^ 
as the French sometimes call those who stand in that in- 
teresting relation had been there, — but without saying it 
was Enrico, the father thinking only of Vallean — and 
that they had decided upon the wedding day. He was 
now so much absorbed with attention to his estate that 
no objection was made to the arrangement ; but he as- 
sured Pauline that he should return before the day ap- 
pointed and be present at the ceremony. 

I must not lose the bargain,” said he, for the num- 
ber of my coins, my bright little shiners, will be doubled. 
Charles, however, shall have none of them, ha! ha!” 
and he laughed himself almost into a frenzy of merri- 
ment. 

On taking his leave of Pauline, Monsieur Servien 
renewed his promise. The eventful day arrived but 
with it came not Servien. A message was received from 
him by the hand of the faithful Pierre, to the effect that 
he “had been unavoidably detained but that all things 
should go on as arranged and that he should surely be 
in time to attend the wedding.” How he deceived him- 
self! He was detained much longer than he had ex- 


THE KING AND THE CE0S8 


29 


pected to be, little dreaming of the real cause of the 
delay. Maurice had purposely put obstacles in the way, 
still there was a point beyond which there was no con- 
trolling him. He had stayed so long that there was barely 
time with the utmost haste to reach Paris before the hour 
appointed, and although Maurice would have kept him a 
while longer, he would not be restrained, and hurriedly 
breaking away set out on his return. 

The utmost speed of the diligence was put into requisi- 
tion, and for the last few miles, the crack of the whip, the 
shouts of the postillion, the loud rumbling of the wheels, 
were the only sounds to be heard. Arrived at the 
house, much to his surprise, he found it deserted by all 
but his old servant Pierre. 

Alone! Pierre?” asked Servien, ‘'where is Made- 
moiselle Pauline ? ” 

“ Gone to the church with Enrico, Master Charles, 
and the priest,” answered Pierre. 

“Enrico! Enrico!” said he, with agitation, “was 
not Vallean of the party? ” 

“ I heard no such name,” replied Pierre. “ A strange 
young gentleman was here whom the priest addressed as 
Enrico. He must be married to Mademoiselle Pauline 
before now, master.” 

Filled with disappointment and rage, Servien rushed 
to the church. The door was slightly ajar, and pushing 
it open he entered with great precipitation. A small 
cluster of persons were standing before the altar at the 
further end of the edifice, and Servien strode rapidly up 
the aisle towards them. The eyes of Pauline and Enrico 
were riveted upon each other, and oblivious to all else 


30 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the approach of the wrathful father was not observed by 
them. At the same instant that the absence of Vallean, 
and the presence of Enrico flashed upon Servien’s mind, 
he heard from the lips of the officiating priest the begin- 
ning of the decisive words which would have made 
Enrico and Pauline man and wife. 

At this critical moment his words were interrupted by 
Servien who rushed between the young couple and rudely 
separated their hands. The arms of the priest were 
raised in an imploring attitude, while Pauline fainted 
and fell at the feet of her father. Charles could not, 
after the part he had taken, endure the glance of his 
irate parent and fled precipitately, hastily followed by 
Enrico. Pierre was close on the heels of his master and 
now stood before him an amazed spectator of the scene. 
There too was the priest filled with astonishment, and al- 
most with terror; the father furious with uncontrolled 
anger, talking madly of fraud and treason, and threatening 
vengeance on the offenders, while Pauline lay apparently 
lifeless upon the marble floor where she had fallen. 

“What is the trouble with Mademoiselle Pauline ? ” 
asked Pierre with a look of dismay. 

“ Merciful heavens ! ” said the priest, “what shall be 
the end of this ? ’ ’ 

The worthy priest was already beginning to fear that 
instead of the marriage ceremony, he would be called 
upon to read the burial service. The color had gone 
from Pauline’s beautiful face, and she scarcely seemed to 
breathe. Monsieur Servien bent down and gently raised 
the almost inanimate form of his daughter, and for a 
brief space he forgot his wealth and was utterly miser- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 31 

able. He was indeed too full of distress to be com- 
forted till the color returned to the cheek of his dearly- 
loved child, showing that the effects of the dreadful 
shock were slowly passing away. Opening her eyes she 
looked wildly around and murmured the name of Enrico. 

Has Pauline too been deceiving her father? ” asked 
Servien, his distress now seeming greater than before. 

Weak and trembling from the excitement she had un- 
dergone, she answered not, but leaned on his arm and 
was supported to the door of the church. Here she 
seemed to gather firmness, but still stared distractedly as 
if looking for some one she expected to see. Nothing 
was thought of this by Monsieur Servien whose mind 
was intent on soothing her extreme agitation, and con- 
veying her quietly home. With the assistance of the 
priest and Pierre she was lifted into a sedan-chair and 
was soon set down at her own abode, and assisted to her 
apartment when she was left alone, in order, by rest and 
quiet to regain her usual strength and spirits. 

Servien in the meantime closely questioned the priest 
who had so nearly performed the marriage ceremony. 
Pierre was also subjected to a rigid examination, but the 
result of all his inquiries was, that they, like himself, 
had been victims of a deception. He then caused an 
immediate search to be made for Charles, but without 
success, nor could Enrico be found at any of his usual 
places of resort. They were undoubtedly satisfied that 
their scheme was at an end, and thought it most prudent 
to keep out of the reach of the old man’s vengeance, for 
a few days at least. 

The part of Pauline in this affair was merely passive. 


32 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


for deception formed no part of her character. Though 
nothing more was discovered by Monsieur Servien than 
the fact of the fraud having been practiced, and the 
presence of Charles, no doubt was left on his mind that 
Maurice had also been a party to it. 


CHAPTER III 


HE unhappy day which had so nearly sealed the 



^ destiny of lovely Pauline had passed away, but 
perfect quiet was recommended in order that she might 
recover her natural tone of mind and strength of body. 
Her father after turning the key that guarded his golden 
treasures to satisfy himself that they were undisturbed, 
and once more feasting his eyes on his money, resigned 
himself to rest, but not to sleep. The events of the past 
day had taken full possession of his mind, and the un- 
happy termination so narrowly escaped, dwelt in his im- 
agination like a horrid reality. He resolved at an early 
day to ferret out the mystery, and, if possible, to inflict 
some punishment upon the guilty authors of it, nor could 
he entirely, in his own mind, acquit the priest of having 
some agency in the fraud. He had himself no particular 
religious feeling, and regarded the clerical office with no 
especial veneration. 

Varice was a man of much capacity and strongly at- 
tached to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, 
and was even supposed to be partial to the Society of the 
Jesuits, and though he had not identified himself with 
that order, he might be capable of anything. * It was one 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


33 


of the peculiar doctrines of that most extraordinary reli- 
gious organization, that its votaries should adapt their 
habits, their manners and their actions to the particular 
circumstances in which they might happen to be placed. 
They were to be all things to all men, professing them- 
selves a severe and rigid morality, they sometimes per- 
mitted and even countenanced in others the vices which 
they dared not, at once, undertake wholly to eradicate. 

Was not Varice one of this class, and had he not some 
interested motive for favoring the designs of Enrico? 
The Jesuits were beginning to be regarded with jealousy 
by the king and his ministers, and while Enrico was not 
supposed from the circumstances of his birth and educa- 
tion to be particularly devoted to the interests of the 
reigning family, while Servien was a devoted loyalist, 
Varice’s former life would be closely investigated, and 
his future conduct strictly watched. If he was guilty he 
should be punished, and no effort of Servien should be 
spared to accomplish it. 

All night was the mind of the old man filled with these 
thoughts, and he found no relief from them except when 
something more dreadful haunted his imagination. He 
was affected with the superstitious notions not uncommon 
in that age, and believed in the supernatural and the 
marvellous. Frequently he would start from an imper- 
fect slumber or a disturbed dream, and imagine that his 
house was attacked by robbers, and that they were in the 
act of plundering and carrying off his treasures. He 
had even been known to thrust the old sword, which he 
always kept at his bedside, into the thin air, thinking to 
vanquish the spectres he saw in his dreams ; and once 


34 


THE KING AND THE CE088 


he discharged a heavily loaded blunderbuss at a black 
form which he thought to be the evil one himself gazing 
in at his uncurtained window, but which afterwards 
proved to be the shadow cast in that direction by a 
neighboring chimney. 

The morning came and the resolution of Servien was 
to be carried into effect. He began by questioning Pau- 
line, and though she had scarcely recovered from the ex- 
citement and distress of the scene through which she had 
gone, her mind was yet far from being composed, conse- 
quently she could give no other account of the matter 
than that which comported with her entire innocence. 
She was truly attached to Enrico and would not believe 
that he had acted a fraudulent part. Had her father 
loved her less tenderly, he would have been more severe 
and searching in his inquiries. Pauline was full of dis- 
tress both on account of her own bitter disappointment 
and the agitation of Monsieur Servien. Perceiving this he 
resolved to pursue the subject no further with her at that 
time. 

Pierre was next summoned to answer. I know noth- 
ing at all about it, master,” said he, with an appearance, 
at least, of honesty, “ except that the priest, Master 
Charles, Enrico, and Mademoiselle Pauline all went off 
together. ’ ’ 

He was next questioned about the letter he had 
brought to his master, but he told the same story as at 
first and could not be made to give any other account 
of the matter. The old man could learn nothing from 
him and he now began to think he possessed no knowl- 
edge about it. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


35 


“ ’Tis some villainy of Charles!" said he, <<to get 
hold of some of my property when Pauline is out of the 
way ; but he shall never touch a franc of my money, 
never ! never 1 " And he laughed at this frivolous 
idea as excessively as he had grieved at the calamity he 
thought had befallen his daughter. 

Servien had hardly concluded his examination of 
Pierre, when his attention was arrested by a knocking at 
the door, and Pierre left his master to answer the sum- 
mons. Servien had thoughtfully and in silence waited 
to see who should so early in the morning honour him 
with a call, and he felt a little confused when Pierre 
ushered Varice, the priest, into his presence. Indeed he 
did not know whether to be angry or pleased at his com- 
ing. Servien requested his guest to be seated, and they 
remained a moment looking with doubt and suspicion in 
each other's faces, while Pierre at a sign from his master, 
withdrew. 

Varice saw at once with his quick eye that Servien felt 
embarrassed by his presence, and sought to put him more 
at his ease by interrupting the silence. hope," said 
he, ** that Mademoiselle Pauline is fully recovered from 
her recent excitement ? " 

<^I’ll punish the wretches ! " exclaimed Servien, with- 
out answering the inquiry, at the same time bestowing 
upon Varice a look which plainly told who was the object 
of his suspicions. 

‘‘Is Mademoiselle Pauline well?" continued Varice, 
affecting not to understand the look and allusion of 
Servien. 

“Hypocrite that you are," rejoined Servien, “you 


36 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


attempt to aid in robbing me of my money and my 
beloved daughter, then with a smile inquire for her 
health ! ” 

The reverend father protested his entire innocence of 
attempting to take away mademoiselle, and declared his 
ignorance that money had been lost ; at the same time 
he averred he had been called to solemnize the marriage, 
by Charles Servien. 

‘‘He shall not touch an ecu of my money,” Servien 
shouted, unconsciously glancing at the strong box that 
stood in the room. 

“Put not your affection on the things of this 
world,” said the priest. “Lay not up for yourself 
treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth cor- 
rupt, and where thieves break through and steal ; but 
lay up your treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor 
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break 
through nor steal.” 

“You talk of heaven, child of the devil that you 
are ! ” cried the enraged old man. “ Happy would you 
be according to your own creed, if you had a little of the 
gold you so much despise, to purchase masses for the 
benefit of your soul when dead.” 

“ Let him that hath need lay up his filthy lucre for 
such purpose,” replied the calm and imperturbable priest. 
“ Godliness is great riches, if a man be content with that 
he hath ; for we brought nothing into this world, and it 
is certain we can carry nothing out.” 

“May be,” said Servien, “you seek to convert me to 
your mode of thought, and, by teaching me to despise 
riches, you hope I will leave a few ducats with you to 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


37 


deliver me from the purification of purgatory, and if the 
lies you preach were truths, by St. Peter, I believe if you 
once had the money, you’d leave a poor sinner to suffer 
there forever. I’d rather keep my money and pay when 
the work was done.” 

“ Holy Father ! ” said the priest, crossing himself and 
throwing up his hands as if in the attitude of prayer. 

He talks as one possessed of a devil. To gain even a 
little of the world, he would lose his own soul ! ” 

The worthy father continued uttering supplications for 
the man who was so great a sinner in his sight, while 
Servien disgusted and impatient with him, left the room 
declaring that he had blasphemed the gospel he professed 
to preach. Pauline, though she had but a moment be- 
fore risen from her sleepless bed, was somewhat com- 
posed, but little refreshed. Hearing the voice of prayer 
in her father’s apartment, a sound she had never heard 
there before, she silently entered, and when the priest 
raised his eyes as he had finished, to his surprise Mon- 
sieur Servien was no longer there, but, with a counte- 
nance pale and anxious as if oppressed with heavy 
thoughts, and gazing wildly round as if in search of 
some object on which to rest her straining eyes, stood 
the beautiful Pauline. 

Father ! ” said Pauline to the ecclesiastic as he stood 
in silence before her. 

“By my faith!” said Varice, “as I but just now 
knelt to pray that he might be forgiven for the dishonor 
done to the religion of Christ and His holy apostles. 
Monsieur Servien was standing where you are ] but when 
I looked and saw him not, and one so fair and beautiful 


38 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


in his place, I, for a moment, thought him changed into 
an angel of light.” 

“Pardon me,” said Pauline, “ I was addressing thee 
as my spiritual father. He that is my father after the 
flesh I honour, while you as my spiritual guide and teacher 
will never be forgotten.” 

“Blessed be God,” said the priest, “that you are not 
wholly given to the vanities of the world ! ” 

“ I would not, reverend father,” replied Pauline, “ for- 
get the prayers I have been taught, or the duties I owe 
to my Father in heaven. From the practice of these 
duties I have learned obedience to the commands and 
wishes of my earthly father. The recent unhappy events 
have given me the greatest distress and I would that they 
had never happened, or that they could be forgotten. 
Tell me truly,” continued she, with great earnestness, 
“ were you one of those who deceived my father? ” 

The priest would have answered at once that he knew 
nothing of the matter, as was really the case, but that at 
this moment Servien entered the room. He had been 
watching and listening at the door, and was evidently 
delighted to find his daughter questioning Father Varice 
with a directness which bore evidence of her sincerity, 
and of her honesty in the transactions of the previous 
week. 

“Speak! thou wretch!” exclaimed the wrathful 
Servien. “ Deny to her if thou darest what thou hast 
denied to me ! Thou hast had communion with the 
father of lies, and verily do I believe there is a bond of 
fellowship between you ! ” 

Vainly did the priest, as he had before done, protest 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


39 


to the irate father his innocence. He would not believe 
him. It was in his eyes a foul conspiracy, and he be- 
lieved the priest was privy to it, at least, if he was not 
one of the principal actors. He was satisfied of the 
innocence of his daughter, and she in her turn was be- 
ginning to doubt the honesty of Father Varice, though 
at first she thought he could not be guilty of so great a 
wrong. The earnestness of Monsieur Servien, and the 
fact that some one had dealt dishonestly with him was 
shaking her confidence. 

Servien could not longer tolerate the priest’s presence. 
“Get thee to thy prayers,” said he, “and if you cannot 
confess to him you have injured, confess to God, your great 
wickedness. Be watchful that you die not unforgiven, 
for not all the gold of Paris would purchase the masses to 
deliver you from the fire your own faith has kindled.” 

As he said this he turned and looked at his strong box, 
the great idol of his worship. “ Rob me of my money 
and my daughter too ! ” continued he. “Charles shall 
not even rest his eyes upon a single coin ; and as for 
Enrico or for you,” looking fiercely at the priest, “I 
would not pay for one mass even to release you from 
purgatory ! ’ ’ 

Father Varice here took his leave, finding it useless 
any longer to reason with one whose ideas continually 
revolved in one circle, and that circle the little one in 
which was centred his wealth ; while Pauline endeavored 
to divert his mind from these to other thoughts. But the 
priest was no sooner gone than Servien applied the key 
to his great box, and as the bolt of the massive lock 
yielded to the force of his hand, he raised the heavy lid 


40 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


and let his eyes again rest on the glittering heapsd He 
seemed to fear that even in his very presence the lock 
and key were insufficient to prevent his treasures from 
being spirited away by the incantations of the priest. 
Finding all things safe as he had left them, Servien again 
set out in search of some information that might lead to 
the discovery of Charles and Enrico, but they were too 
wary for him, for they had chosen a situation where they 
could watch his operations without the fear of being dis- 
covered. When they found that he had left the house, 
and that Pauline had no one to protect her but Pierre, 
they resolved on making a bold attempt to carry her 
away. But Pierre was there. He must first be decoyed 
from the house. He was friendly enough to Charles, 
but at the same time he was loyal to his master, and 
above all he was always faithful and obedient to the 
wishes of Pauline. 

Charles and Enrico were in a chamber that overlooked 
the mansion of Servien on the Rue St. Honore, and by 
keeping close watch they could observe who went to the 
house and who departed. Adjoining their own room 
was a chamber that looked out upon the quadrangular 

^ “ Avarice, in the sense of hoarding, as distinguished from ex- 
cessive desire for gain, is a vice which seems scarcely to exist in 
the present day. . . . But in Louis XIV’s time this vice was 

very prevalent. The nobles alone had the privilege of ruining 
themselves — either in serving the State, or by indulging in a luxury 
beyond their means. The commoners and the provincial burghers, 
cut off from social display, consoled themselves with growing rich 
by preying upon State and nobles, and then, in order to hide their 
gains, they hoarded them.” — From the introductory note by Kath- 
arine Prescott IVorjneley to Moliere's K Avar e. 


THE KING AND TEE CROSS 


41 


courtyard in the rear of Servien’s house. Could they, 
by some device, carry her away before the return of 
Monsieur Servien, she could be concealed for a day or 
two, and most likely would be induced to consummate 
her union with Enrico. 

She had, as they believed, no real objection to such a 
step on the ground that her father had withheld his 
consent, or that he had been deceived. She had but 
fainted from sudden fright, and they had fled from the 
church in a panic, fearing or believing for a moment 
that Servien was attended by a competent force, and 
perhaps by the officers of justice and that they would be 
arrested. They did not reason correctly on that subject, 
though their feelings were true to the better instincts of 
human nature. Men engaged in the commission of a 
fraud, are generally great cowards. They see sights, 
and hear sounds that no other mortal can see or hear. 

We were too easily frightened, Enrico,” said Charles, 
“but we will carry it through better the next trial. I 
have a plan to get Pierre out of our way for a few min- 
utes when our purpose will be gained. I know a trusty 
fellow near by, a friend and companion as well as the 
confidant of Pierre, who will do the work for us. Gold 
will remove his scruples if he have any, and I will find 
him at once and mould him to our use.” 

So saying, Charles left Enrico alone in the apartment, 
and hastily descending the staircase that led into the 
court, he disappeared through a narrow alley that com- 
municated with another street. Seeking out the instru- 
ment he had chosen he drew him aside and asked, “ Is 
thy master abroad to-day?” anxious to open some 


42 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


conversation with him foreign to the real subject of 
inquiry. 

He has but just now entered the house,” answered 
Barnabe, “ Wouldst speak with him? Follow me.” 

Nay, Barnabe,” said Charles, would but know 
that it is well with him to-day. And you, Barnabe, 
always seem happy.” 

When the skies are bright,” replied Barnabe, “and 
my master is in good humor, it is well with me. This 
is a day of sunshine. ’ ’ 

“ Hadst thou the wealth of thy master, thou would’st 
be more happy than he?” asked Charles, as he looked 
up at the stately mansion near by. 

“ I may not envy him that,” answered Barnabd. “ It 
is the slow gathering of years of disquiet. Thrift will 
come to him that courts it. I have a few coins laid by 
to wait the coming of others.” 

“Wouldst add another to the little store?” asked 
Charles, as he showed him a piece of gold. 

Barnabe looked at the coin, and then in the face of 
his interrogator, as if he would demand an explanation 
of his meaning. 

“Listen to me,” continued Charles, “and the gold is 
thine.” 

Barnab6 opened wide his mouth, and stood with lis- 
tening ears. “I would have you bear a message to 
Pierre at the house of Monsieur Servien,” said Charles. 
“ Mademoiselle Pauline, my sister, is left alone there with 
him. Now I would have a little talk with her without 
my father’s knowledge, and as he has forbidden that I 
should ?nter hi^ doors, should I go there in his absence. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


43 


he would be sure to find it out from Pierre. Go you 
there to him, and say with some signs of haste, that you 
have but just now met his master, who wishes him to 
meet him without delay at some distant place, and then 
return to me.” 

Not more surely does gold put activity and life into 
the arteries and sinews of trade, than it put agility into 
the limbs of Barnabe. He was soon at Servien’s door 
and delivering the message to Pierre, added on his 
own responsibility, that he was desired to remain there 
till Pierre should return. Pierre at once set off in 
search of his master, and Barnab6 returned to Charles 
who hastened at once to the room where he had left 
Enrico. 

It was but a very short time after, that a coach halted 
at Servien’s door, and two men in disguise entered the 
apartment of Pauline, and roughly demanded that she 
should follow them. Overcome with fear she would have 
shrieked for help, but that she was instantly prevented 
by one of the men who so muffled her mouth that her 
cries could not be heard. 

. Forcibly was she taken by them and placed in the 
coach, which was driven rapidly away. Street after 
street was entered and passed with great rapidity, till 
Pauline became perfectly unconscious of the part of the 
city where she was. Indeed she would not have known 
had she been in the full possession of her judgment. 
It was already the dusk of evening when the coach 
halted, and Pauline was made to alight, and was then 
hurried rapidly through the narrow alley that led to the 
courtyard, through which Charles had returned to the 


44 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


apartment of Enrico. Passing through this she was 
made to ascend the stairs, and was ushered into a room 
which was totally dark ; then she fainted, and the men 
losing their grasp she fell heavily upon the floor; the 
rogues making a sign to Charles and Enrico that their 
work had been performed, and receiving the reward of 
their villainy, departed. 


CHAPTER IV 

IT OW long Pauline lay there or what passed she knew 
^ ^ not, but when she opened her eyes it was late in 
the evening, and she saw with surprise in the closely 
curtained room, but dimly lighted by one feeble lamp, 
Charles and Enrico. She had not met with either since 
their precipitate flight from the church, and that scene 
was more vividly impressed upon her imagination than 
all other recent events. For a moment she looked 
around as if she had expected to find there the priest 
and the others who had accompanied her to the altar. 
Then she turned again to look for the angry gaze of her 
father, but that was not to be seen. She thought of the 
ruffian faces of those who had forcibly carried her away 
from her father’s house, but they were not there. 
Finding that she was really alone with Charles and En- 
rico, her fears gave way to the better impulses of her 
nature, and she burst into tears. The two men endeav- 
ored to calm her agitation, but the fountains of feeling 
were unsealed and relief could only be found by permit- 
ting her tears to flow. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 45 

How came I here?” demanded Pauline, when she 
had so far recovered her voice as to give utterance to the 
emotions that were struggling in her bosom. 

“We have thought it a kindness to you to deliver you 
from the power of a cruel father,” answered her brother. 
“ Enrico will be to you a faithful guardian and protector.” 

“My father, cruel as he may have been with you, has 
ever been kind to me. I cannot thus rudely be snatched 
away from his home,” replied Pauline. 

“But you have already consented to be mine,” said 
Enrico, “and we are now but enabling you to carry that 
determination into effect.” 

“To him that has protected me thus far in life, and who 
does not now withhold that protection, I owe respect; con- 
fidence and obedience, and I cannot disregard his wishes, 
even to promote my own happiness. True I have 
promised to be yours, supposing my father had approved 
of our wishes. Believing he has been deceived by some 
one, I cannot renew the promise without his approba- 
tion.” 

So saying Pauline advanced to the door, resolved to 
return home that night ; but the door was locked and 
the key had been withdrawn. She begged that it might 
be opened, but her prayers and entreaties were answered 
by continual exhortations to consummate her union with 
Enrico. 

Pauline became weary of their importunities, and the 
two young men in turn became impatient since their 
wishes were opposed by her unshaken resolution. Find- 
ing no agreement could be expected between them, that 
night at least, Pauline begged to be left alone that she 


46 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


might take a little rest. Charles and Enrico had formed 
the design of procuring the presence of Father Varice 
on the following morning when they hoped she would 
yield. But they were yet unacquainted with the full 
force of that most noble trait in her character, filial affec- 
tion. They hoped that the restraint she was then under, 
the weariness of being imprisoned, and the peculiar cir- 
cumstances of her attachment to Enrico would, at last, 
prove too much for the weakness of woman to resist. 
They acceded to her request and leaving her to the 
humble couch which lay in the corner of that cheerless 
room, they retired to the apartment they had chosen as 
the watch-tower from which to observe the movements 
of Servien, locking after them the only door through 
which it would be possible for Pauline to escape. 

Then came a more trying position than any in which 
she had before been placed. What could a weak and 
unassisted woman do, alone and shut in by bolts and 
bars, and that too in the darkness of the night ? Escape 
to her seemed impossible. With bruised limbs, a broken 
heart, and bereft of almost everything but hope, she 
was yet strong in her affection for her father. But the 
race is not always to the swift ; the battle is not always 
to the strong. A mighty power may sometimes be found 
in the arm of the feeble, and weakness often becomes 
strength. Kneeling upon the bare and naked floor, and 
resting her weary head upon the bed from which she 
would vainly have sought for sleep, she lifted up her 
thoughts in prayer to that Being who alone could com- 
fort her in her distress. No voice was heard, for she 
dared not break the silence of her prison-house, but there 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 47 

went up in the stillness of the night the sweet incense of 
prayer, and it was heard in heaven. 

Pauline rose with the confidence of one who has 
sought aid and strength from above. Charles and Enrico 
had left the almost expiring lamp, and its faint light had not 
yet gone out. Putting off her shoes she went noiselessly 
to the window. The shutters were closed, and she 
thought from the manner of their construction that light 
could not even be discovered from without. There was 
a strong fastening which seemed to have been adjusted 
on the outside, and unless this could be overcome escape 
would be impossible. She dared not try its strength, for 
the city was not yet locked in the stillness of sleep, and 
she might even be heard by Charles and Enrico. Yet it 
seemed to her that what was to be done must be done 
quickly. 

The clock had struck the hour of eleven, and almost 
the last drop of oil that fed her fading lamp was ex- 
hausted. Soon she would be in darkness and must wait 
with sleepless anxiety the coming of the morning which 
would not then bring light to her unless by permission 
of her brother and his friend. They might even be cruel 
enough to keep her in durance for many days in this 
darkened room. She knew not what quarter of the 
city she was in, nor the character of the house where 
she was. She had seen only that one room, and had 
been brought there by night. For anything that she 
knew she might be compelled to endure all the horrors 
of a long and painful imprisonment. She therefore re- 
solved to make the most of that flickering lamp-light, in 
a bold and desperate attempt to escape. 


48 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Rapidly taking another survey of the room, with the 
quickness of woman her resolution was taken. With- 
drawing carefully from her bed the only covering it con- 
tained, a single sheet and a blanket, she hastily tied their 
corners together as firmly as she could, trusting that 
when the opportune time arrived she could force open 
the shutters that fortified her window. 

Could this be effected she could easily make the de- 
scent to the ground. But everything else must be ad- 
justed before that was attempted for fear that so much 
noise would be made as to create alarm. The corner of 
the blanket was made fast to a large bolt that happened 
to have been firmly imbedded in the casing at the side 
of the window, while the sheet which was attached to the 
other end was moderately twisted like a rope and then 
laid in a coil that it might instantly be thrown from the 
window. 

Standing in the room was an old oaken chair of antique 
fashion, strong and heavy, which the fair captive drew care- 
fully up to the window, and leaning upon its heavy back 
she began to reflect upon the proper time to attempt to 
force open the shutters. Within and without quiet 
reigned, and in her room was darkness, for the lamp had 
expired in its socket, and nothing but the smell of the 
burning wick remained. *‘It must be,” thought Pau- 
line, ‘‘near the hour of twelve,” and having carefully 
raised the sash and supported it from falling, she resolved 
that when she should hear the first stroke of the great 
clock of the Tour de I’Horloge that told the hour, she 
would raise the old chair and by giving it such a swing- 
ing motion as the length of her arms would allow, deal 


THE KINO AND THE CEOSS 


49 


a blow against the shutter, repeating the act at every 
striking of the clock till it should be forced open. 

She waited anxiously and silently, but not long, for 
scarcely had her arrangements been completed ere the 
old bell hammer gave the first of the twelve strokes, and 
at the moment it was repeated there came from the des- 
perate efforts of Pauline such a blow that the shutters 
flew open, and even the old chair passed out of the win- 
dow and fell with a crash to the ground. 

So far her efforts had succeeded ; she must now try to 
make good her descent to terra-firma. Throwing the 
twisted sheet from the window, giving one look and 
quickly springing out, she rapidly and easily let herself 
down till near the ground when the knot parted, and she 
fell alighting on her feet unhurt, but still holding the sheet 
in her hands. Quick as thought she gathered it around 
her and began, as well as she could, to grope her way 
along in the dark in hopes of finding some way of egress. 

Some of the sleeping inmates of the house in the 
meantime were alarmed by the unusual noise and had 
hastily risen, and were rushing to the windows to ascer- 
tain the cause. Nothing however, was to be seen but 
the figure of Pauline enveloped in the white sheet walk- 
ing slowly along. Those who saw her were struck dumb 
with terror, and before they had recovered in any degree 
from their fright, Pauline, aided by the lights which then 
appeared from within, had discovered the passage that 
led from the courtyard and had made her way through 
it into the open street. 

Throwing aside the sheet, and finding she was not 
pursued or molested in any manner, she went on in the 


50 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


direction in which chance led her, not knowing where 
she was, or whither she was going. Thinking she might 
be followed, and if overtaken carried back and again 
confined by Charles and Enrico, or be subjected to new 
trials, she kept on with haste in the same direction in 
which she had set out on making her escape, intending 
to be before daylight came as far as possible from the 
place of her confinement. 

She passed the boundaries of the more thickly settled 
portion of the city, and began to feel that she was beyond 
the reach of her pursuers, but being weary with watching 
and exertion she would gladly seek any shelter which 
gave the promise of a little rest. How this could be ac- 
complished she hardly knew, and was on the verge of 
sinking down from exhaustion when from a distant win- 
dow a light shone like a star of hope. Summoning all 
her remaining strength and resolution to proceed, she 
soon discovered that the light came from a large castel- 
lated building with a small tower jutting forth from the 
frontage, but whose outlines were dark and indistinct. 

Whether it was a prison or a palace she was ignorant, 
but one thing she believed that it was inhabited by those 
having human feelings and human sympathies, and trust- 
ing with confidence that she would not be turned away 
should she seek admittance she continued to approach. 

The building stood within an enclosure surrounded by 
a high wall, the gate to which it was customary to leave 
open at night in order that wanderers might find pro- 
tection and shelter. Such were the feelings that inspired 
her when she found herself within the enclosure. Ap- 
proaching the door she gave a loud, resounding rap 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


51 


which was answered by a voice from the inside demand- 
ing who it was that sought admission at that late hour. 

“ A lonely and unprotected girl would seek for shelter 
and rest,” answered Pauline. 

Upon this reply a portress appeared at the wicket, and 
presently recognizing that a youfig girl was there alone 
did speedily undo the bolts and opened the door. Pauline 
entering was met by a distinguished looking woman of 
middle age whose countenance beamed with benevolence 
and sympathy. In answer to the inquiries of Pauline to 
whom she was indebted for so welcome a reception, 
stranger as she was, and for anything that could be 
known, an outcast from society, she learned that this was 
the Convent of Dix Vertus, Rue de S^ve,^ and that the 
person who had so kindly received her was the Lady Su- 
perior. 

“Whither,” asked the prioress, addressing the new- 
comer, “art thou wandering alone and in the darkness 
of the night ? ” 

“I have been torn away from a kind father by ruf- 
fians,” answered Pauline. 

“ And he, thy father, knows not the fate of his child ? ” 
asked the prioress, with a look that showed she could 
strongly sympathize with one who had been bereft of the 
society of a daughter so young and beautiful, and that 
too by a forcible abduction. 

“Nothing, I fear,” replied Pauline, “nor do I know 
where I have been taken, or in what part of the city I 
now am.” 

1 It was only after the Revolution that the street called Rue de 
Sive took the name it now bears, Rue de Sevres. 


52 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


“ And where are they that bore thee away ? ” asked the 
prioress. 

know not/' answered Pauline, “for when I was 
seized, I was placed in a coach and driven rapidly away 
through many streets and by various windings, till I was 
utterly bewildered and lost.” 

Pauline then related in detail how she had met 
with her brother and Enrico at the place of her im- 
prisonment, and all the circumstances connected with it. 
She told how she had knelt and prayed to her heavenly 
Father for wisdom and strength to devise and execute 
some plan of escape ; and how, when she had found that 
her brother and Enrico were locked in the bonds of sleep, 
had escaped as by a miracle from their power and eluded 
their pursuit. She told of her strong attachment to her 
father, and that she, when her mother died, and Charles 
had proved to be disobedient, was the only comfort and 
consolation of a broken-hearted man. And then she told 
the prioress how the possession of wealth had caused her 
father to prefer the world, and the things of the world, 
to the purer and more elevated enjoyments of the present, 
and the sublimer hopes and promises of the future. 

When the prioress heard this recital from the lips of 
Pauline, she believed that she had but little attachment 
for worldly things, and that hers was a character far 
nobler and more innocent than usually belongs to most 
persons of her age and condition in life ; and that with 
a little care and cultivation it might be more fully per- 
fected and developed. 

Pauline when she had finished her narration again 
gave way to weeping, and the prioress could not refrain 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


53 


from embracing her and endeavoring to kiss away her 
tears. Such kindness Pauline had not experienced since 
the death of her beloved mother, and it completely un- 
nerved her. 

The relief which nothing else could bring was found 
in weeping and the prioress wisely left her to herself, that 
she might by rest recover somewhat her strength and 
spirits. After the lapse of several hours she fell into a 
sweet and refreshing sleep. 

When she awoke and the prioress saw the brightness 
of her smiles shining through her tears, she was more 
than ever struck with her surpassing loveliness and 
beauty. Nothing, she thought to herself, could make 
her more happy than to see Pauline enter upon the pro- 
bationary state of a religious life. She therefore de- 
scribed to her, with an eloquence which was heightened 
by the loftiest enthusiasm religion can inspire, the sim- 
. plicity and beauty of the life of a nun. She told how 
she would be free from the cares and the wants which 
perplex those who are devoted to the world, and above 
all that she would never more be troubled with the agi- 
tating thoughts by which, for the last few days, she had 
been disturbed. 

Pauline listened to her with interest and admiration, 
for she was not a stranger to the exercises of devotion. 
She had seen exemplified in the life of her father the 
folly of devoting one’s self to worldly pursuits alone, and 
the interest manifested in her by the prioress began al- 
ready to be reciprocated. In the room was a crucifix ; 
a figure of the Virgin, and images of the saints ; while 
apart from these in a niche by itself was a cross of argent 


54 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


dore, and on its base was the inscription, ^^Chaque croix 
qui la touche deviant orN Pauline examined them one 
by one, and read over with a feeling of reverential awe 
the words on each. When she came to that of the 
virgin, she read in an audible voice, “ O blessed Virgin, 
conceived without sin, pray for us that we may have re- 
course to thee. Hail, Mary, full of grace, may the 
Holy Spirit favour us.” 

It was now the break of day and the bells rang with a 
solemn tone to call the nuns to matins, and Pauline was 
left alone while the prioress went to attend her devotions 
with them. Looking out through the open door she saw 
the procession of gentle nuns as they passed along the 
corridor leading from their cells to the little chapel. The 
matins being over the prioress returned to Pauline and 
informed her that that day a novice in the convent was 
to take the black veil ; that the ceremony was to be 
solemnized in the chapel, and that she was invited to re- 
main and witness it, at the same time intimating that 
nothing would give her so much pleasure as to receive 
her into the convent as a probationer. 

Pauline listened to her not without interest or emotion, 
but her desire to return home and her natural modesty 
and reserve induced her to decline the proffered courtesy. 
The prioress kindly offered to Pauline such light refresh- 
ment as was partaken of by the nuns, which was accepted 
with a gratitude that was equal to the benevolence with 
which it was offered, and after she had eaten she pre- 
pared to take her leave. Like the parting of mother and 
daughter was the separation of Pauline from her new 
friend. The prioress again extolling the beauty and 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


55 


purity, the peaceful enjoyments and the holy promises of 
a religious life, and once more holding but to her the en- 
couragement she so well knew how to give, embraced 
her with a kiss, and they separated, as they believed, to 
meet no more. • 

Pauline left the door, and passed out of the convent 
with a sad heart. Turning round an angle of the en- 
closure, her attention was arrested by a beautiful arch 
of evergreens under which was passing a throng of 
persons mostly women, who were going to the chapel to 
see the rite to which she had been invited. The words 
of the prioress dwelt in her imagination, and awakened 
in her those sweet and thrilling emotions which are 
sometimes produced by the awe-inspiring tones of 
solemn music. She involuntarily followed the throng 
and entered the sacred edifice. The floor was covered 
with women kneeling in silent prayer, most of them 
closely veiled. Sometimes she would catch a glimpse 
of the countenance of some one of them, and was 
struck with the expression of devoutness blended with 
personal humility. 

When Pauline entered the chapel all was silent, but 
when the kneeling worshippers rose, suddenly there 
burst upon the ear a strain of solemn and enchanting 
music. When it had nearly ceased, and the last and 
lowest notes were lingering sweetly in the air like the 
dying sound of an echo, there appeared behind the 
lattice-work at the farther end of the chapel, a proces- 
sion of nuns arrayed in white. As they approached the 
lattice they separated, and then was seen advancing 
between the two lines, two nuns dressed in black lead- 


56 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ing the probationer robed in white and wearing a white 
veil fastened round her head by a wreath of roses. The 
white nuns casting flowers before her she advanced to 
the lattice and kneeling three times the white nuns 
gathered around her heaping flowers upon her head. 
Music was again heard, and the officiating priest robed 
in rich vestments advanced, removed from her head the 
white veil and wreath of flowers, then placed upon her 
a crown of jewels and gold and put a sceptre in her 
hand. 

Again the music resounded but with an inspiring air 
of triumph. The Sisters embraced her, and again 
threw roses upon her as she knelt before the altar in 
prayer. When she arose, the crown, the jewels and the 
sceptre were taken from her. She was enveloped in the 
black veil, and again showed herself to the multitude, 
the Sisters embracing her with a kiss. The black veil 
was no more withdrawn, for now she was dedicated to a 
religious life and separated from the world forever. 

As one by one the spectators left the edifice, Pauline 
slowly and sadly followed. When she passed under the 
evergreen arch, she paused to admire its simplicity and 
beauty ; and before she was aware the last person had 
passed through and disappeared, and she found herself 
alone. During the ceremony she had just witnessed 
her imagination had been so excited, and her mind so 
solemnly impressed with religious awe, that she had 
almost forgotten her resolution to return home. Now 
that she was compelled seriously to think of it, or be a 
wanderer in the streets of a great city, she began to 
reflect upon the obstacles that might confront her. Her 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


57 


father might be away in search of her, and if she should 
be so fortunate as to reach his house in safety, she might 
not feel herself secure. Once she had been carried 
away by force, and the same outrage might be repeated ; 
besides, it would not be very strange if she should 
encounter Charles and Enrico by the way, and again 
be abducted and put in confinement. 

Irresolute and timid she turned away from that beau- 
tiful archway, and with feelings and motives scarcely 
definable, her steps unconsciously led her back to the 
convent door where she was once more warmly wel- 
comed. Drawn to the place as by an irresistible im- 
pulse, Pauline was happy without knowing why, and 
determined on remaining there for a few days until she 
could send a message to her father, and be informed of 
the state of affairs at his house. With this intention in 
mind, she failed however to carry it into effect so far 
as any positive action on her part was concerned, for she 
was lost in a kind of religious reverie from which she 
was not soon to be awakened, and neglecting to inform 
Monsieur Servien of her place of refuge he knew not 
where to look for her. She was soon familiarized with 
many of the little acts of devotion which were practiced 
in the convent, the prioress continually becoming more 
and more attached to her, while Pauline on the other 
hand fully appreciated her kindness. 

Thus many days passed away, each one becoming 
more pleasant and delightful to her than the one which 
preceded it, but at first, she could not bear without the 
keenest anguish the separation from her father, though 
as she grew more attached to the prioress and to her 


58 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


new mode of life, these feelings became weakened so 
that she soon began to think that separation would be 
truly painful ; and finally she could not entertain the 
thought of parting at all. In short she had already be- 
come a probationer, and her novitiate had commenced. 
She nevertheless fully intended at a proper time to 
visit her father and inform him of the step she had 
taken; meanwhile she was known at the convent as 
the Sister Pauline. 


CHAPTER V 


H ARLES and Enrico had been alarmed by the 



tumult created by the escape of Pauline, and 
hastily dressing they went out to ascertain whence the 
noise proceeded, first going to her room; finding the 
door locked as they had left it, they descended the 
stairs, but before this had been accomplished the ghost- 
like figure which had so alarmed the other occupants 
had disappeared, and they were standing mute with 
fear. Charles, however, knowing the spirit and courage 
of his sister instantly surmised the cause of the uproar, 
and raising his eyes to the window of the chamber 
where they had left Pauline, saw that the shutters were 
open ; the sash had been raised and the blanket, by the 
aid of which his sister had descended was still hanging 
from the casement. A moment more, and both of the 
young men were at her chamber door which they hastily 
unlocked and opened. 

“By Heavens, the bird has flown!" exclaimed 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


59 


Charles. “I thought she was securely caged, and that 
escape would be impossible.” 

'Tis too true,” said Enrico, as he cast his eyes at the 
window and saw the means by which she had effected 
her liberation. 

pretty account have we to render to our own 
minds for our boasts of prudence and skill,” replied 
Charles. **If two able-bodied men possessed of ordi- 
nary intelligence cannot, with the aid of bolts and bars, 
secure a single weak, unprotected woman, the less we boast 
of our tactics the better will it accord with our success.” 

They gazed around the room as if they hoped to find 
some explanation of the means by which Pauline had 
made her escape, but no evidence was discovered of her 
having had any assistance. There stood the little bed as 
they had left it except that its covering had been con- 
verted to a very different purpose from that for which 
it was intended. The lamp stood where it had died 
and gone out, but the old oaken chair had disappeared 
out of the window. 

Disappointed and angry with themselves Charles and 
Enrico again retired to their own rooms to wail over their 
thwarted plans, and to contrive new ones for their 
future action. 

When daylight had fairly come it was natural they 
should turn their eyes towards the house of Servien. 
They might perhaps get a glance at Pauline, or by 
some means discover whether she had returned home. 
Pierre was seen moving actively about, and persons 
not accustomed to visit the house were going in and 
coming out. Charles and Enrico were not long in 


60 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


coming to the conclusion that something unusual was 
controlling their movements. It seemed to them clearly 
evident that Pauline had not returned. Here was a 
new source of trouble to them. She might have wan- 
dered off to a strange and unknown part of the city 
and met with some accident in the darkness of the 
night ; or she might have been decoyed into some den of 
infamy and lost to her friends, to virtue and to society. 

Charles and Enrico were disturbed beyond measure for 
the safety of Pauline, for the attachments of lover and 
brother were sincere and true. Charles, in the bitterness 
of his soul cursed the disappointment with which their 
fraud had been visited, while Enrico gave vent to his 
feelings in tears. What was to be done ? They would 
ferret out the mystery of the strange appearances they 
saw about the house of Servien, but meanwhile they must 
remain concealed till the mystery had been unravelled. 
Enrico left the management of this delicate and difficult 
matter to Charles, for he remembered the active service 
rendered him by the eccentric Barnabe. If he could be 
found and be induced to come to their chamber, he might, 
through Pierre, find out all they desired. 

Charles had no sooner outlined this plan to Enrico 
than he descended the stairs, and after a few moments 
of low but earnest conversation with a servant he found 
in the open corridor, he returned to his friend. 

“I have sent for Barnabe,” said he, as he entered 
the room and silently closed the door behind him. 
“He will soon put us in motion, and we will try 
another expedient.” 

Enrico’s countenance fairly kindled with hope at the 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


61 


words of his friend, and he forgot at once the tears that 
had betrayed his weakness. He resolved that he would 
again resume his manhood, and that their efforts should 
be vigorously prosecuted to some issue successful or 
otherwise. 

While their hopes were thus growing into confidence, 
and they were commending themselves to their own 
courage, speculating on the prospects of future success, 
a knock was heard at the door. Charles immediately 
opened it, and there, with a countenance indicative of 
the utmost benevolence, but a little roguish withal, and 
grinning almost from ear to ear, stood the tall, gaunt 
form of Barnabe. 

He was a man somewhat past the age of thirty, of a 
tall and ungainly figure, with large, prominent blue eyes 
and high cheek bones ; a large, long nose with widely 
distended nostrils, and a mouth that, when it was opened 
by his frequent and good-natured laughter, was without 
a rival in width, displaying a set of teeth, which, if his 
countenance had been clothed with a look of ferocity 
equal to that of his good-humor, would have frightened 
even an hyena out of the snarling expression peculiar to 
his nature. 

‘^How is it with you, Barnabe?” asked Charles as 
he entered the chamber. 

With a voice which was between a laugh and scream, 
Barnabe answered by asking what was the pleasure of 
Charles. 

“Hast kept the gold I gave you?” queried Charles. 

“That broad piece is safe with its fellows,” replied 
Barnabe, while he grinned broader than before. 


62 


TBE KING AND TSE CROSS 


^^Wouldst add another to the little heap?” asked 
Charles. 

Barnab6 stood with staring eyes and distended mouth, 
as if to hear what further Charles had to say. 

“I can trust you ? ” continued Charles, interrogatively. 
“ What I require to be done is a slight service and must 
be kept a secret ; nor must it be known to any one that 
myself and Enrico are here.” 

Barnabe here caught sight of the little coin which 
Charles held in his hand, and he at once promised strict 
and faithful compliance with his wishes. 

^‘Know then,” said Charles, *‘thatl would have you 
fall in with Pierre and learn from him what has caused 
the great stir about the house of my father, and bring us 
instant word.” 

Barnab6 took the coin with a smile and walked slowly 
away, manifesting in his bearing the most entire uncon- 
cern, leaving Charles and Enrico again to themselves. 
They waited with some degree of impatience to learn of 
the result of the mission undertaken by the crafty 
Barnabe, and would have found their patience entirely 
exhausted, but they knew that the wheels of time moved 
slowly ; that their motion could not be hastened by hu- 
man hands and that the movements of human agents were 
sometimes scarcely more capable of being accelerated. 

It would have been well for them if, in their retire- 
ment or rather concealment, for such it must be con- 
sidered, they had honestly and carefully reviewed their 
own conduct with a determination to pursue only the 
right and to avoid what their consciences could not have 
approved. But they had satisfied themselves that the 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


63 


end to be gained was desirable, and that all means neces- 
sary to the attainment of it were, on that account, to be 
fully justified. Trying their actions by this standard, it 
will not be difficult to explain any seeming absurdities 
they might have committed. 

The two friends had relapsed into silence and medi- 
tation, neither wishing to disturb, or be disturbed by the 
other, when their revery was broken by the return of 
Barnab6. He entered the room with his great eyes al- 
most bursting from their sockets, but instead of the 
laughing features with which he set out, his countenance 
wore an expression of wonder, and almost of terror. 
Charles saw by his look that his mind was big with the 
burthen of some great and stirring news, and eagerly 
demanded what information had been obtained. 

Barnabe with some appearance of agitation, resting 
his weight upon one foot, and now and then shifting it to 
the other, proceeded : 

‘^You see. Master Charles,” said he, <‘that before 
your father came home last night. Mademoiselle Pauline 
was carried off by two strange men, that is, so the old 
man thinks, for two rough-looking men were seen to 
stop there with a coach and enter the house and soon 
after they drove away. When Monsieur Servien came 
home, Pauline was gone. He ran through the house 
like a madman, and finding she was not there he flew to 
his strong box, and began to count his money, and so he 
has continued ever since. No sooner has he gone over 
it once, than he begins again. His friends have tried to 
assist him but he seems suspicious, and will not permit 
them to interfere.” 


64 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


And what more of Pauline,” asked Charles, with a 
look that showed the question was rather Enrico’s than 
his own. 

“O, they don’t know,” said Barnabe, what has be- 
come of her. Your father is all the time calling her to 
come and watch those who are standing by him, to see 
that they don’t steal his money. And there he is on his 
knees clutching first with one hand and then with the 
other, some of his little bags of coin.” 

Enrico drew a long sigh, as he heard what Barnabe 
said of his betrothed, then turned, as it was usual for 
him to do, to Charles for consolation and advice. What 
could he do more than Enrico himself? He knew noth- 
ing more of Pauline than his friend, and while they 
were in a state of entire ignorance on this point, no 
effective measures could be entered upon and no rational 
conjectures could be formed. 

Day after day Charles and Enrico continued to watch 
the signs they saw about the house of Servien ; meantime 
receiving frequent messages from Barnabe. Days came 
and went, and still Servien remained in about the same 
condition, watching and counting his money and calling 
on his daughter to defend it from the hands of robbers. 
Refusing food as well as rest, it was easy to see that he 
could not hold out long. Gold could not keep up the 
strength of the human frame, unless otherwise used than 
to create watchfulness and anxiety. Thus a week had 
passed, and found him a raging monomaniac. 

Wealth had perverted his understanding. Nature was 
sinking from exhaustion. Sleep would have come to the 
relief of his overtasked powers, but they gathered no 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


65 


energy from the fitful slumbers that visited his bed. 
Dreams of bags of gold, of bars and ingots of the shining 
metal haunted his imagination. No word escaped his 
lips in his uneasy sleep, but such as referred in some 
way with the baser possessions of earth. At intervals 
he was rational on the subject of his daughter, though 
generally he called upon her name in connection with the 
ruling passion of his life. Sometimes he would speak of 
Charles, never failing to represent him as an ungrateful 
son who would defraud him of his money, always declar- 
ing that he should not touch a single franc. 

Servien had made no disposition of his fortune with 
the exception of that portion which had been secured to 
Pauline, for the thought that Death would conspire to 
throw anything into the hands of Charles had never 
occurred to him. His mind had always been occupied 
with the world and self, and he had never dared to con- 
template the future. He always seemed unconscious of 
the fact that life was passing away and that the rapid 
strides of time would soon bring him to the end. The 
old scythe-bearer had done his worst with him ; now 
the terrible old King was about to achieve a conquest. 

It might be that superstition would give credit to the 
fiction, that the great enemy of the human race had pur- 
chased Servien, body and soul, with certain pieces of 
silver, and that the day of delivery had come. How 
this may be, is a mystery which is yet hidden in the great 
womb of time ; but certain it is that he had the money. 
O, how the sordid gold of earth weighs down the soul, 
and clogs its aspirations after holiness, happiness and 
heaven. Many a noble spirit is dragged down to the 


66 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


abyss of misery and woe, which, but for the ponderous 
weight of wealth would have soared upward on the 
wings of faith. Once having taken its downward pas- 
sage, how shall it again be able to drop its wretched 
burthen? It cannot; falling, falling, still downward it 
goes and finds no rest. 

What a miserable tenement such a soul has occupied 
on earth ! A body worn out by laboring and toiling for 
the vile dust, denying to itself necessary food and rai- 
ment, that it might, during its short continuance, extend 
its arms around a larger pile of that worthless dross, 
which alone makes it struggle to keep within its shattered 
frame that particle of the divinity within us which is 
longing to be set free. 

In the still and solitary apartment of Charles and 
Enrico, once more appeared the faithful Barnabe; but 
he came not now, as he had before, his face covered 
with loose and disjointed smiles, but with closed lips and 
a hushed voice, indicative of solemn feelings. The two 
friends stood with countenances of inquiring agony, 
waiting for Barnab6 to deliver his message ; but he spoke 
not a word. Something of unusual interest must be on 
his mind thought they, for in this instance they had seen 
him coming from Monsieur Servien’s house, while on 
other occasions he sought for his information from Pierre, 
and that without entering the abode. Barnabd however 
waited to be interrogated. 

“What has happened? ” asked Charles. 

“Well, master Charles,” replied Barnabe, “the old 
gentleman is very bad. All he says is, * Pauline ! 
Charles the rascal will get my money.’ Then he gropes 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


67 


about and feels after it, but he is so blind he couldn’t 
see a franc, and Pierre says, ‘ the doctor thinks he is not 
long for this world.’ ’’ 

‘^Good heavens!” exclaimed Charles; while Enrico 
gave utterance to some similar expression of surprise. 

Mademoiselle Pauline is there,” continued Barnabe, 
‘‘but her father cannot see her, poor old man!” and 
the great tears which Barnabe fain would have concealed, 
but could not, fell down his rough cheek. This was too 
much for the philosophic mind of Charles, and the 
thoughtless and perhaps reckless Enrico. They had 
feelings which were yet alive to the touch of sympathy, 
and they too wept. 

Barnab6 was deeply affected, but physically he stood 
as silent and motionless as a statue. 

“ Whence came my sister ? ” Charles inquired. 

“I could not tell, master Charles,” answered Barnabe. 
“ Pierre told me he was standing by your father’s bed- 
side, when the first he knew she came in of a sudden, 
and seeing Monsieur Servien prostrate and in the em- 
brace of death, she fell senseless upon the floor.” 

An exclamation of anguish escaped the lips of Charles, 
and Enrico gave utterance to a groan that came from 
the bottom of his. heart. Who shall describe the feel- 
ings that took possession of the bosom of the brother ? 
He felt that he had been in some measure an ungrateful 
son, though it may be that he had not always been 
treated with proper consideration by his father. But 
how shall a man justify his own wrongs by referring to 
the wrongs of another ? Should his father die almost 
within sight, and his own son not visit him, could he 


68 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


justify himself before the world, even though he might 
be satisfied in his own conscience? Surely something 
of his own feelings might well be sacrificed to outward 
appearances. He therefore resolved at once to visit 
him, and trust to time and circumstances to explain the 
motives of his conduct. 

Barnabe had already descended the stairs. Charles 
immediately followed attended by Enrico, and without 
uttering a word all three proceeded to the house of Ser- 
vien. There upon a bed that but poorly accorded with 
the extent of his riches, lay the miserable old man, mur- 
muring incoherent expressions about his property. By 
his side sat the faithful and affectionate Pauline, who 
had but just recovered from the fainting fit into which 
she had fallen, and two or three neighbors were standing 
around. It was soon evident, even to the most casual 
observer, that the hours of Servien were numbered. 

For many days the unhappy man had exhibited all the 
symptoms of a confirmed monomaniac. Charles ap- 
proached the bedside but his father failed to recognize 
him. He would have forgiven him and sought his for- 
giveness, but it was too late, for his eyes had already 
put on the glare which is the precursor of death. The 
soft tread and the hushed voices of all, told but too 
plainly that the grim old King was at the threshold. 

Why it is, that we are more silent in the presence of 
one whose life is fast ebbing away, so that ordinary sounds 
do not disturb him, than in the more sensitive moments 
of his existence, cannot perhaps be easily explained ; 
but certain it is that all men feel the presence of some 
influence, through which all vulgar and worldly thoughts 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


69 


are then banished, and words as well as tones of voice 
give utterance to sentiments that create in us a foretaste 
of a better and purer world. 

Near the bed, and almost in unholy contact with it, 
stood the strong box which had been at once the shrine 
where he knelt and the idol he had worshipped. No 
devout Catholic ever told his rosary more faithfully 
than that old man had counted the coins his industry 
had gathered and his watchfulness had guarded. But 
the eye that had watched it was now dim, and the 
hand that had gathered it was cold. There was a 
slight convulsion of the frame clearly visible to all who 
were present ; the muscles before slightly rigid were 
relaxed, and the last breath departed from his body. 
Death had kissed his cold lips, God had laid his finger 
upon him and he was no more. 

Pauline was now a fatherless, as well as a motherless 
child, and like a weeping willow bending over the 
stream, she hung over that bed and wept. With the 
life of her father had gone out the light which had kept 
alive in her, one of the most beautiful traits of a lovely 
character; the duty of filial obedience and affection. 
She was now left to herself and the world, and what it 
might be her fortune to receive from its cold charities 
she knew not. She needed not its pecuniary aid, but 
to be comforted and consoled, supported and sustained 
in whatever trials she might be called to endure. 

One day and another passed away and the house was 
a house of mourning ; at least such it was to Pauline. 
But there must come an end of sorrow and sighing 
must flee away. The obsequies were performed and the 


70 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


dead was interred in the cemetery of Saints-Innocents, ^ 
‘‘earth to earth, ashes to ashes,” and the places that 
knew him once shall know him no more forever. He 
brought nothing into the world and he carried nothing out. 
The whole of his large fortune had to be left behind. 
With continual threats on his lips of the disinheritance 
of Charles, he had done nothing to prevent his receiv- 
ing an equal portion of the estate with Pauline, with 
the sole exception of what had previously been secured 
to her. 

Charles was beginning to look with anxious eyes to 
the division of his father’s estate, but he thought best 
before attempting it to ascertain the feelings of his sister, 
equally dear to him, and perhaps more so to another. 
Pie naturally began once more to cherish strong hopes 
for the success of his friend Enrico, but Pauline main- 
tained a bearing towards him which was distant and 
dignified. Without interfering at all with the interests 
of Charles, or consulting him in regard to her own, 
she appointed an agent to attend to her portion of the 
estate, and with a vivid remembrance, coupled with a 
deep feeling of gratitude for the kindness with which 

1 The cemetery of Saints-Innocents was a very ancient burial 
place. In the histories of the massacre of St. Bartholomew, 
which occurred in 1572, mention is often made of it. D’Aubign^ 
says, “ On Sunday all the town flocked to behold a thorn which 
had blossomed very suddenly in the cemetery of the Innocents. 
Companies of priests went thither with beat of drum, proclaiming 
that the Church did flourish by the death of so many heretics. 
But those of the Religion would have it that those flowers bloomed 
for the innocents slain, not for the slayers of them.” 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


71 


she had been treated at the convent by the prioress, 
she resolved to return to it. 

During her short residence there she had taken care 
to have some inquiries made in her behalf as to what 
extent her father was affected by her absence, with a 
view of ascertaining whether he would offer any resist- 
ance to her entering it as a novice. These inquiries 
had resulted in learning of his illness, and she had 
hastened to him so that she might perform the offices 
of a faithful daughter. Now that he was dead no 
further obligation rested upon her. She had too keen 
a remembrance of the outrage offered to her person by 
Charles and Enrico in having her abducted from her 
home, to think of listening to their winning words. 
She however adroitly concealed from them, for a few 
days, her ultimate decision ; in the meantime she ex- 
changed the few personal ornaments she had been accus- 
tomed to wear, for a golden crucifix which she wore 
suspended from her neck. 

The time was scarcely sufficient for Charles and Enrico 
to discover the bent of her inclinations, before she had 
left the paternal mansion and returned to the convent. 
They had already learned that that was her former 
retreat, and when her absence was noted they truly 
conjectured she had returned to it. They knew that 
entreaty and remonstrance would be equally vain, and 
nothing remained to them but submission to what had 
taken place. 

Pauline felt that in turning her back upon the scenes 
of her childhood and the society she might have adorned 
by the virtues of her character, but could not dazzle by 


72 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


her wit, she was setting her face towards a purer and 
more exalted career. She would have been courted 
and flattered for her beauty and wealth, and loved for 
that worth which mere beauty can neither give nor take 
away. But now she would be honoured for the great 
sacrifices she has so willingly made. Go on, thou 
noble, and lovely, and fearless one in the path thou 
hast chosen, and if earth is not gladdened and made 
better by thy life, heaven will not be the less glorious 
for thy presence. 


CHAPTER VI 

IT OW rapidly and mysteriously does the tide of 
* ^ human events roll on ! Servien, the wealthy and 
retired merchant who, but a few short weeks since, 
calculated on many years more of life, and upon still 
further and greater accumulations of wealth, and who, 
in the pride and resentment of his heart threatened to 
disinherit his son, had suddenly been arrested in his 
career and laid in the grave. He had courted and 
expected for his daughter the most honourable nuptials 
and the amplest fortune. Charles had sought to give 
a different direction to the future life of his sister, while 
she on the other hand had thought of nothing but of 
following the current of her own wishes and affections, 
if they were but in accordance with her father’s de- 
sires. All were disappointed. 

The hand of the lovely Pauline had been sought by 
artifice and dissimulation, and it was promised by her 
in honour. By the opportune discovery of Monsieur Ser- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


73 


vien the celebration of those nuptials was prevented; 
while she, the beautiful and the good, the innocent and 
the accomplished, had taken refuge in a convent intend- 
ing to devote herself to a religious life, Charles, the 
disinherited son, as he had supposed himself to be, was 
sitting in the paternal mansion with none to dispute his 
possession. 

But Charles was not alone in the house of his father. 
The faithful Pierre was there. He had been for many 
years attached to his old master, and always intended 
to be true to his interests, but sometimes he had been 
led away from duty by the arts and deceptions of others, 
but on the discovery of such events he had ever mani- 
fested the deepest contrition. When he saw the body 
of his old master carried away, never more to be brought 
within those walls, Pierre was no insincere mourner; 
and when Charles entered the old mansion, he, as a 
further evidence of his regard to the memory of the 
father, promised allegiance to the son. 

With Charles was Maurice, who came as an old and 
attached friend. Enrico too was there, he who had 
endeavored to make the affections of that young girl 
subsidiary to his interests, and whose attachment had 
now become truly sincere. His whole scheme, however, 
had failed and he had become a broken-hearted man. 
Though he could not wholly and at once forget Pauline, 
yet, in the bitterness of defeat and disappointment he 
vowed never more to trifle with a woman’s affections, 
nor to be trifled with by any one of the fair sex. Could 
he have justly accused Pauline of deception it would have 
afforded him some relief. Guilt is ever apt to palliate 


74 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


wrong by suggesting the wrongs of others. Then the 
self-accusing spirit flies from its own accusations, and 
affects to feel a sense of injury committed by another. 
But even this poor comfort was denied to Enrico. 

“Where now,” he soliloquized, “shall I turn for 
friends and fortune, and perchance for fame? Friends 
I have yet in Charles and Maurice, but fortune must be 
gained. This may be accomplished in the scrambles of 
traffic, or on the boisterous ocean of commerce. Low 
and grovelling pursuits I covet not. I must have some 
labour, some intense struggle that will excite the passions 
and demand the lofty reachings of the intellect, where 
mind will contend with mind and triumph over matter.” 

While these thoughts were passing through the mind 
of Enrico, Charles had fallen into a dreamy revery 
which Maurice did not seek to interrupt. Their waking 
dreams were disturbed by the unexpected entrance of 
Father Varice. They had not met before since their 
hasty retreat from the church. He had not even at- 
tended the obsequies of Monsieur Servien, and had now 
come to see what new chapter had opened in the for- 
tunes of his friends. Upon being informed of all that 
had taken place, and especially of the course adopted 
by Pauline, he expressed his entire approbation, and 
praised with the eloquence and devotion of a true 
Catholic, the beauty of a religious life; speaking in 
terms of admiration and almost of exultation of the 
rewards reserved for those who follow it faithfully to 
the end. 

This was at the period when the power of the “ Society 
of Jesus” was greatest, and the conversation of the 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


' 5'5 

priest not unnaturally was upon this theme. The great 
Reformation of Luther ^ had set the moral elements of 
the world in motion. His followers were making fearful 
inroads upon the influence and consequently the power 
of the Pope, and of the whole Roman Catholic Church. 
The “Institutes” of his great co-worker Calvin, which 
set forth the doctrines of the Reformed Religion with a 
severe and terrible power, appeared at the very time of 
its organization. To counteract their influence was 
probably one of the motives which induced Pope Paul 
Farnese in 1540 to sanction the formation of the Society 
of Jesus, and confer upon it its privileges and its power. 
When it was first organized it numbered but a few men ; 
but it had now been in existence for a century and its 
followers and missionaries had borne the cross, or were 
bearing it, to every quarter of the world. 

Enrico had all the ardour and enthusiasm which can 
well be supposed to be infused into the character of 
man, with that peculiar mental organization which 
characterizes those who are continually seeking for 
something new. He had before known but little of 
this wonderful and far reaching institution, and he lis- 
tened with delight to Varice’s relations of the mission- 
aries and martyrs who had laid down their lives as 
witnesses for the Faith. The awfully severe and rigid 
morality upon the basis of which it was organized, 

1 “ The German princes, partly persuaded of the truth of Lu- 
ther’s doctrines, partly desirous to escape the exacting tyranny of 
Rome, which drained their subjects’ pockets, supported the Re- 
former. ... In a short time the Roman religion was over- 
turned throughout a great part of Europe.” — Nicolini, 


76 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


excited a higher and holier admiration than the most 
heroic achievements of the chivalrous age. 

The Jesuits took upon themselves the vows of poverty, 
chastity and obedience, nor was one received into the 
Society who had been a member of any other religious 
order. They considered themselves formed for action 
and enlisted as soldiers of Christ, and of the Pope, — his 
vicar on earth. They aimed to study the dispositions of 
persons of rank and if possible to gain their friendship. 
The spirit and constitution of the Order was not opposed 
to intrigue and artifice. The government of the Society 
was purely monarchical. 

The general was appointed for life, and was absolute 
in his authority. All inferior officers were appointed by 
him, and were in all things subject to his commands. 
He controlled the finances of the Order, and, in theory 
at least, he had power over the persons and wills of the 
members. Novices were bound to submit to him every 
six months, an exhibit of their consciences; frequent 
and minute reports were transmitted to Rome, where the 
general usually resided, of the condition and standing of 
each individual member. The education and training of 
youth was regarded by them with peculiar care. They 
secured for themselves the office of confessors to most of 
the monarchs and persons of rank in Europe, and from 
the first moment of its existence the Society enjoyed the 
unlimited confidence of the Holy See. 

The theory of its organization did not always corre- 
spond with the actual professions, much less with the 
conduct and character of its members. With the vow 
of poverty which remained unrepealed, and which was 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 77 

kept before the world almost with a show of ostentation, 
they became rich. License was granted to them by the 
court of Rome to trade with the natives they should con- 
vert to the Faith, and they became extensively engaged 
in commerce. Severe in the rules of their own conduct, 
at least so far as their actions were made public, they 
frequently propagated the most pliant notions of morality 
and religion. In order to extend their influence, they 
accommodated themselves to- the passions, and even 
justified the vices of men. Their system of ethics al- 
lowed them to change the tenor of a promise or a con- 
tract in accordance with a mental reservation made at 
the time of the undertaking. In their dress they adopted 
no particular style or habit, but adapted themselves to 
the manners and customs of every occasion, and of every 
nation to which their missions extended. In short, like 
Paul, but in a perverted and less philosophical sense, 
they became all things to all men. 

Enrico had known something of these things, but the 
conversation of Father Varice brought them more forcibly 
and more vividly before his mind. His imagination was 
inflamed by the history of the constancy and martyrdom 
of their missionaries. He was gifted by nature with an 
enthusiasm which needed but to be kindled at the fires 
of some glowing altar to burst into a perfect flame of 
eloquence and a passion for action. 

** O could I describe to you,” said Varice, “ the mighty 
and almost sublime energies of the members of that 
Order, your thoughts and your feelings would rise into a 
sweet and holy rapture. To the Jesuit, the value of a 
soul is greater than the wealth of the whole world, and 


78 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the conversion of a sinner of more consequence than the 
conquest of an empire. 

“No kind of danger,” continued he, “and no form 
of persecution, as well as none of the thousand shapes in 
which death stares in the face the faithful missionary, 
can appall him, or turn him aside from his purpose. 
Uplifting, and onward bearing the cross of Christ, he 
goes forth to battle with the enemies of his faith, and if 
not seeking, at least not shunning a martyr’s death. To 
his entranced vision often appears the form of the Virgin 
encouraging him to go forward in the good work of 
gathering souls into the heavenly fold.” 

The high-wrought imagination of Enrico, perhaps even 
his ambition and his thirst for fame were kindled and 
warmed into life and light by the inspiring thought that 
by works, if not by faith, he might be made the instru- 
ment of Providence, and by bringing souls to the knowl- 
edge of God win divine favour. 

Much, very much on this absorbing subject passed 
between Charles and Enrico. He had forever renounced 
his hope of Pauline, and the knowledge that she had en- 
tered upon a religious life, and the respect he could not 
but have for her character, inclined his thoughts per- 
haps to a similar direction. 

In this frame of mind was Enrico, when, in the com- 
pany of Father Varice, he left the house of Charles. 
They soon however separated for that day, and when 
they met again, apparently by accident, but really by 
the procurement of Varice, he was accompanied by the 
distinguished Jesuit, Escobar, one of the most noted 
men of his day. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


79 


In resuming the conversation which had been broken 
off by the termination of the last meeting, Varice dis- 
covered that the enthusiasm created in the mind of 
Enrico had not in the least abated. To foster this feel- 
ing, and if possible to increase it, was the deliberate pur- 
pose of Varice, and he had brought Escobar for the pur- 
pose of seconding his efforts, and Enrico was sensibly 
affected by the conversation which followed. The priest 
and Escobar saw that the ground was ready for the seed, 
and believed that if sown it would spring up and bear 
fruit. 

Enrico despaired of being able to effect that triumph 
over the world and the flesh which he had been taught 
by Varice to believe was necessary to be initiated into 
the Order. Could I,” said he, “ so subdue whatever 
there is of earth about me to the dominion of the spirit 
within, as to be worthy to undertake the divine mission, 
I should exult at the triumph of mind over matter, and 
be ready to make so great a change in the plan of my 
life.” 

I have as yet only described to you the general fea- 
tures of the Order,” answered the priest. “If I should 
relate to you the story of the travels and trials, the pun- 
ishments and persecutions of the great witnesses of the 
gospel of Jesus, trained and sent forth by our holy 
Order, you would realize that all I have told you was 
spiritless and dead in comparison with that faith which 
has strengthened and sustained the fainting missionary, 
and the dying martyr in the cause of Christ and his 
church.” 

“It is possible,” said Father Escobar, addressing him- 


80 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


self to Enrico, “so to withdraw your thoughts from 
worldly objects, that, like Ignatius Loyola, the founder 
of our Order, you may by faith accomplish marvels. 
Wouldst thou put away pride and be humble, and, while 
thy body shall remain on earth, lift up thy soul to heaven 
and fill it with heavenly thoughts? Go thou, and like 
Ignatius, assume a beggar’s garb. Mortify thy flesh with 
thorns and with scourging; fasting while thy soul is 
lifted up in prayer, and thou shalt be able to wrestle 
with and overcome the Evil Spirit that seeks to enthrall 
thee, so that he will flee away. Withdraw thyself from 
the world ; seek the solitude of nature, and alone with 
God and the universe offer up prayers and thanksgiv- 
ings ; then shall the whole mystery of man’s redemption 
and salvation be laid open to you.” 

No response was made by Enrico to this eloquent ap- 
peal of the Jesuit father; but it was plainly perceived 
by him and Varice, that his mind was filled with solemn 
thoughts. They parted, and before Enrico was again 
seen, he was, in all but his form and features a changed 
man. He possessed himself of the “ Spiritual Exer- 
cises ” of Loyola, and according to the formula there 
prescribed, devoted himself to the work of conversion. 
For seven days he gave himself up to a succession of 
dark views into his former life and conduct, and of 
gloomy and foreboding prospects of the future. 

During the second week of his probation he enrolled 
himself in the army of the faithful ; studied the life of 
their divine leader ; how best to bear the cross, endure 
the shame, and to raise his thoughts to the contemplation 
of the Most High. Then for seven days more he fixed 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


81 


his mind in solemn meditation on the unfathomable abyss 
of woe into which a descent was made to rescue the race 
of Adam from the sin of the first transgression. During 
another week his enfranchised spirit chanted hallelujahs 
and contemplated the glory and blessedness of heaven. 
When the full period of a month had arrived, he sur- 
rendered, by a strong effort of will and with solemn 
prayers to the Virgin, all the pomp, pride and wealth of 
the world. Seeking out Father Escobar he presented 
himself before him in the habit of a mendicant. 

The Jesuit rejoiced that one so promising and from 
whom so much was to be expected, as from Enrico, had 
been gained over to their Order, exulting in the prospect 
that through him sinners might be brought to the cross, 
and thousands of precious souls saved as brands from 
the burning, thus being brought into the kingdom of 
God. Enrico was almost too susceptible to the power 
of sympathy, and he grasped the hand of his new 
brother with the warmth of an overheated religious zeal, 
and in their miserable appearance they felt like kings, in 
fact, more than kings were they to become in the power 
they were destined to wield over the moral destinies of 
their fellow-men. 

When the time of probation was passed, Enrico was 
received with all due form and ceremony into the Society 
of Jesus. Henceforth to the end of his life, through 
distant lands ; in every difficulty, and in all the trials 
and temptations of the world, he was in all things a 
Jesuit. 


82 


THE KING AND THE CB0S3 


CHAPTER VII 


HE long reign of Louis XIV was one of unrivalled 



* splendour and renown. Surrounded by all the great 
men of his time, what he could not do himself, he had 
the art and address to accomplish through the aid of 
others, in a way that seemed to have been done by the 
king alone. He rarely failed of securing the ends he 
sought, and when he seemed to be borne down by the 
power of his enemies, he rose higher than ever before, 
and his genius shone with still greater lustre. True it 
was that the king himself governed France. 

Some enterprises were entered upon that were great in 
their results. Conquest and colonization, settlement and 
commerce were among the principal objects of that mon- 
arch’s reign. America was then the great field of en- 
terprise and adventure. The French had possession of 
the Canadas, and were fair competitors for the control 
of the immense wilderness of another large portion of 
the new world. The lilies of the Bourbons had taken 
root on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence, and 
through the famous Reni-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la 
Salle, they were planted on the shores of the Mississippi. 

*^The rule of the Bourbons in the west is a memory 
of the past, but the name of the great king still survives 
in a narrow corner of their lost empire. The Louisiana 
of to-day is but a single state of the American republic. 
The Louisiana of La Salle stretched from the Alleghanies 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


83 


to the Rocky Mountains ; from the Rio Grande and the 
gulf to the farthest springs of the Missouri.” 

The commerce of the rivers and the great lakes of 
North America was to be developed and fostered. The 
fabrics of art were to be exchanged for the furs of these 
northern forests, and the power and glory of the king 
would be increased by these important acquisitions to the 
government of France. Hand in hand with the progress 
of trade, would be spread the gospel of Christ. The 
cross was to be borne over the ocean and erected in a 
new land, and to be carried through the wilderness to 
the most distant and savage of the sons of the forest. 
Who were those fearless ones that were to preach life and 
immortality to those children of nature, the red men of 
the prairies and of the American woods? The Jesuits 
were the actors in this wonderful drama, the heroes of 
this mighty romance. 

Enrico had emerged from the solemn exercises of his 
probation, a Jesuit in full maturity and perfection. The 
mysterious transformation which he had undergone par- 
took, as most such conversions do, of the marvellous. 
If he remained true to his vows, he was henceforth, to 
the end of his life, to be a faithful and valiant soldier of 
the cross. He was to go forth conquering and to con- 
quer, and by fasting and prayer ; by watching and pa- 
tiently enduring the trials ; resisting the temptations that 
would necessarily beset his path, he hoped to win the 
victory over sin, and by bringing the pagan to the knowl- 
edge of the Christian religion, secure to himself a crown 
of glory among the saints in heaven. 

As yet, he had seen but one of the shifting scenes in 


84 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 


the great drama in which he was destined to act no mean 
part. From the Imperial city beyond the Alps, the seat 
of empire, as well of the Jesuits and of the whole Roman 
Catholic Church, there came the high commission he 
had sworn to obey. The general of the Order had issued 
his mandate, and Pope Innocent XI, as the supreme 
head of the Church, had approved it. By this mandate 
Enrico was required to turn his back on the shores of 
his native land that he might bear the cross into the vast 
American wilderness. His vows had been recorded in 
the books of the society, and his enthusiasm created in 
his own mind the belief that they were registered in 
heaven ; above all, he felt that they were impressed upon 
his conscience. He could not now, had he desired it, 
retreat from the promises he had made, or even stand 
still in security. He must go forward in the work to 
which he had been appointed. Should he do this, for 
him was reserved the soldier’s triumph or the martyr’s 
crown. 

The objects of the new settlements were political and 
commercial as well as religious. Some of those who 
cherished the religious purposes that were to be favoured 
by colonization, lost sight of the political and commercial 
advantages to be gained, while those in turn were indif- 
ferent as to its religious aspects. Among those whose 
attention was turned to the New World was a devoted 
loyalist, high in the favour of the king. He too was 
zealous in the work of erecting the cross and spreading 
the knowledge of Christ in the far-off land of America, 
but unlike most public men of that day, he had adopted 
the opinions and the theology of Calvin. A young 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


85 


French refugee, skilled alike in ecclesiastical and civil 
law, in the duties of magistrates and the dialectics of re- 
ligious controversy, entering the republic of Geneva and 
conforming its prescribed discipline to the principles of 
republican simplicity, established a party of which Eng- 
lishmen became members, and New England the asylum. 

Such a man was Vincent. English by birth, but 
French by adoption, he had embraced the new theology. 
Driven from his own country for some political offence, 
he had sought and received the protection of the French 
king, and was no less zealous in his interest than a na- 
tive born subject. During frequent interviews with 
Enrico, they had been involved in that severe conflict of 
opinions which always arises from the collision of great 
minds entertaining different views of theology. 

We can agree,” said Vincent, in the great purpose 
of planting the standard of the king upon the new con- 
tinent.” 

And we ought not to disagree,” rejoined Enrico, ‘^in 
that other and more supreme purpose of erecting the 
cross, of extending the power and usefulness of the 
Church.” 

To this Vincent replied in a long, able and exhaustive 
argument to win Enrico over to the Reformed Religion, 
and closed by saying : “If the spiritual cannot be com- 
prehended alone and by itself, when properly taught, 
how can it be understood when mingled and corrupted 
with the material. Let us then propagate in our new 
colonies only those great and leading truths which are 
common to both Catholic and Protestant. Religious 
feuds and strifes should not be permitted to stand in the 


86 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


way of extending and strengthening the power of the 
crown over the whole untraversed region of the New 
World." 

I cannot agree with you,” responded Enrico. “ The 
civil power is less important, even the glory of the king, 
than the spiritual or ecclesiastical. The salvation of a 
soul is of more value than extension of empire. We 
believe the use of emblems is of great efficacy in bring- 
ing sinners to the knowledge of the truth. You do not. 
We also believe in symbols, which you seek to do away 
with and count as nothing. It is not unpleasing to God 
that through the foolishness of preaching men should be- 
lieve.” 

The influence of the Jesuits prevailed. The mission- 
ary was to be sent forth. Hand in hand were to pro- 
ceed the conquests of the crown and the triumphs of the 
cross. Religious feelings and sympathies were to be 
made to minister to the temporal and civil power ; the 
channels of trade and commerce were to be opened for 
the purpose of aiding the missionary in his travels and 
labours, and of protecting him in the hour of peril, 
as well as for their own sakes. With the govern- 
ment, though perhaps not with the missionaries them- 
selves, merchandise was to be made of their reli- 
gion, but it is to be feared that it could not be af- 
firmed with equal truth, that in matters of merchan- 
dise and barter they were to be governed by the 
principles and the spirit of Christianity. 

Where now were the other actors in the drama ! 
Pauline was still at the convent, and her purpose of 
remaining was unchanged. Maurice was quietly pursu- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


87 


ing his vocation as a merchant ; but Charles, now that 
his friend Enrico was dead to him, as he had solemnly- 
declared himself to be to the world, had met with an- 
other, and, to him, more interesting friend. 

He had in one of his morning walks chanced to meet 
with a young girl, her face so nearly veiled that he 
could not well distinguish her features ; but from her 
shapely form and graceful carriage, he imagined that 
she was no common person. His curiosity was a little 
stimulated and he resolved to pursue the same walk at 
about the same hour the next morning. He met the 
unknown as before, and again he could only picture 
in his imagination the beauty that must be con- 
cealed under her veil. Whatever imperfection there 
may be about the actual outlines of a girlish face, the 
ideal image of one’s fancy is perfect. The faultless 
picture rests upon the mind in the waking hours of day 
and visits it in dreams by night. Nothing but the 
actual experience of the senses can break the charm, 
for the beautiful conception is interwoven with all the 
finer sentiments of the soul. Hope is strengthened into 
confidence and faith becomes the most active principle 
of his nature. 

Thus it was with Charles Servien as day by day he 
met the graceful, charming grisette in his morning walk. 
As yet he had caught the merest glimpse of the face his 
fancy had pictured ; but, with a vision almost prophetic 
he saw and admired her beauty. He began to imagine 
that her walks were prompted by the same feeling of 
curiosity as his own, not doubting that if he could 
behold her face he >vould discover depicted upon it the 


88 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


same pleasurable emotions that dwelt in his own bosom. 
It could not be possible, he thought, that they should 
so often meet without design on her part. Once he had 
caught a glimpse of her dark eye which seemed to 
confess all that he had imagined. He watched her 
path to discover, if possible, whither she went. She 
seemed to divine that his eyes were ever following her, 
but he could not without the certainty of expos.ure 
discover her ultimate destination. 

Once he had followed her to the shop of a couturiere^ 
but she entered it with the air of one who was accus- 
tomed rather to patronize such an establishment than to 
toil there, that Charles had no suspicion that she was 
compelled, from her condition in life, daily to ply the 
needle for the means of subsistence. He felt inclined 
to wait in sight of the door to see if she left it during 
the day, but dared not for fear of being discovered, but 
at length ventured to accost her with the morning salu- 
tation. It was gracefully returned and they passed on. 
What was at first but an act of courtesy began to ripen 
into acquaintance, and acquaintance grew into friend- 
ship. 

Whither goest thou at early morn?” asked he; 
whereat she half drew aside her veil, and her speaking 
eyes revealed to him the unseen beauty of her partially 
concealed features. 

‘‘I am going,” said she, ^‘to my daily task. I look 
to the work of my hands for my own support, and 
sometimes am able to contribute a little to that of a wid- 
owed aunt who is to me as a mother.” 

Charles was more than satisfied with the realization of 


THE KING AND THE CB08S 


89 


his fancied dreams of her beauty, but the pride of birth 
for a moment rose up in his mind and he knew not what 
to say. Before his thoughts could be moulded into 
expression, the grisette had tripped away, and was 
beyond the reach of his voice. He then began to up- 
braid and rebuke himself for his own folly. He had 
voluntarily inquired into the condition of that young 
girl, and now he had shown dissatisfaction, or at least 
disappointment at the answer she had given. The 
inquiry itself ought to imply a willingness to know the 
truth. Why should he complain because his questions 
were answered with sincerity and honesty ? 

He determined to know more of her history, her 
present condition, and future prospects. At early even- 
ing he pursued the same walk where he had often met 
her in the morning, but passing in the opposite direc- 
tion, and was disappointed for he did not meet her. 
She had probably taken another street to reach her home. 
He must institute a stricter watch and turned to retrace 
his steps. 

Man is never more occupied than when he is alone 
with his thoughts, but thought in its rapidity, immeasur- 
ably outstrips motion. As the current of ideas becomes 
more accelerated, the pace slackens and almost comes 
to a stand. Notwithstanding this, Charles had over- 
passed the bounds of all his former walks, his path 
already stretching far into the suburbs of the city. 
Night had overspread turret and tower, but here and 
there, the light of a humble hearth or the glimmer of 
a solitary taper, looked out from a cottage window like a 
star struggling to send its rays into thick darkness. 


90 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


At the lattice-window of a small stone house stand- 
ing close by the wayside, Charles saw, by the aid of 
the faint light within, the form of a young woman. He 
could look in without the fear of being discovered. 
He thought, he hoped, — yes, it was she, the beautiful 
grisette. This then was her home, and that old lady 
whom he saw by the light of the small lamp upon the 
little work-table, doubtless was her aunt of whom she 
had spoken. 

Charles pondered as to what he should do. Should 
he go in and make himself known to the aged aunt? 
They might be alarmed at such an intrusion and re- 
fuse him admittance. Or, if he should be admitted 
the motives of his visit might be questioned. Besides, 
could he, the son of a wealthy merchant, the heir of an 
ample fortune, reduce himself to an equality with one 
of so humble birth, a common working maid? Then 
too, over and above his wealth he had inherited the 
pride of ancestry. Should the emblems of the humblest 
walk of industry be added to his heraldic ornaments ? 
Poor, indeed, might be that young girl ; abasing might 
be the association, yet she had a dowry in her beauty 
and in the sweetness of her disposition. 

‘‘Who knows,” thought he, as he felt glowing within 
his bosom the nobler sentiments of human nature, “ but 
this humble girl may be, in all that constitutes the dig- 
nity of woman, the richest prize in all Paris? ” 

He approached the door and raised his hand to the 
knocker, but he had either too little courage or too much 
discretion to rap for admittance, and he walked away to 
gain time for further reflection as to the proper course 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


91 


to pursue. Again, and yet again he returned and 
passed by the door, marching and countermarching, 
but he could form no settled resolution. Once he 
thought she was beginning to sing, but the voice of 
the warbler ceased almost before the first sounds had 
struck his ear. Again he walked away for the night 
and gave himself up to meditation upon the events 
of the day. 

Often afterwards did Charles repeat his morning and 
his evening walk, and often too did he meet the charmer. 
She grew less reserved as they met more frequently, but 
yet was sufficiently coy for the most fastidious notions of 
womanly delicacy. The veil no longer concealed her 
peerless eyes, but she always seemed to act as if con- 
scious of the fact that her own condition in life was 
inferior to that of her admirer, and she well knew the 
effect of too much freedom on the part of those of her 
station. Nothing but looks and actions had ever told 
the grisette that Charles loved her, but he, on the 
other hand, was too cautious to be caught in a snare 
before he was fully prepared for the surrender of that 
liberty and freedom of choice among the sex which the 
confession of his love would take away. And so they 
remained, each cherishing in their minds the sweetest 
and purest thoughts and winning each other by looks 
and smiles, but no word of love escaping the lips of 
either. 

The struggle of pride, of feeling and of interest was 
yet to come. A vessel was to sail to the New World. 
The ministers of the cross and the seekers after fortune ; 
the champions of the French crown and the lovers of i 


92 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS 


sport, were to be congregated upon the ship that was to 
traverse the pathless ocean to that far-off land beyond 
the sea. Charles was to make one of the motley group. 
He was to be an adventurer in the pursuit of gain, but 
where would be the winsome grisette? She was the 
beau ideal of his fancy, and although he had not opened 
his heart to hers, he felt that he could not tear himself 
entirely away, for the separation would be of long con- 
tinuance, perhaps forever. 

Should he communicate his intentions to her, or quietly 
take his departure without her knowledge ? There were 
insurmountable obstacles to her joining him in the voy- 
age. He therefore determined to leave her and almost 
surrender his hopes of her till he should return. He in- 
tended to increase his already ample fortune, and in the 
distant future revisit his native land. For a season he 
was to be separated from kindred and friends. How 
gloomy would it be not to have some one in the land of 
his birth to care for him, to think of him, to hope for 
him, to love him and for whom he could feel the same 
sweet and tender emotions ? If he should leave without 
openly declaring his attachment, before his return her 
heart would be another’s. It was only when he con- 
templated the possibility of not meeting her again, that 
he felt the full force of an untold, and so far as he knew, 
an unrequited affection. 

The shadows of evening had fallen when Charles, full 
of these newborn thoughts again directed his steps to 
the little cottage of the widow. There, in a low room 
lighted by a single window sat Madame Duilly with her 
lovely niece. Juli^ received him with a smiling face, 


THE Kim AND THE CE08S 


93 


and, with a modest diffidence combined with an easy 
grace, presented him to her aunt, who, with an appear- 
ance of surprise, cast a searching look upon the young 
man. 

‘‘I have come, mon-amicy'' said Charles, addressing 
himself to Juli6, as he saw the doubting and inquiring 
look of the old lady, “to thank you for the pleasure I 
have experienced in the short time I have known you, 
and a hope ” 

His voice was here broken by the emotions that were 
struggling in his bosom against the resolution he had 
formed ; and again he encountered a look from Madame 
Duilly more anxious than before. “And I hope,’' con- 
tinued Charles, “we may meet again.” At these words 
the colour left Julie’s cheek; she looked distressed and 
anxious to know the full import of his words. 

“I am going,” he added, “to try my fortune in the 
New World, but I could not leave without coming to give 
you the parting hand and leaving with you my best 
wishes and dearest hopes.” 

For the first time in her life Juli6 Delorme now felt 
that she loved. Till this moment she had been uncon- 
scious that she had any strong affection for any one but 
her kind-hearted aunt. O how sweet and passionate and 
all-pervading is the feeling of one’s first love, for the 
memory of former years and the prospects of future life 
are crowded into the present. But the realities of to- 
day, to-morrow will be the romance of the past. 

There is a poetry and a romance peculiar to every sea- 
son of life ; to the young girl the dreams of womanhood 
and of love and marriage ; the belief that to her keeping 


94 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


will be confided all the devotion of which the heart of 
man is susceptible ; and the lofty, pure and noble pur- 
pose of retaining the possession of those treasures undis- 
puted and undivided, constitute the very life and spirit 
of romance. But to the woman who has passed through 
this period, and is in the quiet enjoyment of all that her 
youthful heart dared to hope for, the remembrance of the 
aspirations and emotions of her girlhood, her hopes, her 
fears, her disappointments and her triumphs, her mo- 
ments of sadness and her hours of rejoicing, are the 
romance of her history. 

What did Juli6 say? What could she in an emer- 
gency so unexpected ? She remonstrated with him play- 
fully and endeavored to keep up her spirits, but there 
was a heavy weight on her heart. 

“I would not,” said she, <^tear myself away from 
country and friends and from those you love, for the 
doubtful prospect of making fame or fortune. You 
would think painfully and sorrowfully when landed on a 
barren shore, of the friends left behind, while there 
would be some here who would feelingly think of you.” 

“ O I should often think of those who are dear to me 
at home,” said Charles, while Madame Duilly raised her 
eyes and looked upon her niece as if wondering whether 
she was one of the dear friends that would dwell in his 
memory. 

‘‘The wish to be with them again would not be so 
easily accomplished, as the resolution you have formed to 
separate from them,” replied Julie; “and it would be 
well to consider whether a step that cannot easily be re- 
traced, should be so hastily taken.” 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


95 


have weighed well all the reasons,” responded 
Charles, “ in favor of and against the undertaking, and 
my inclinations are so strong that my purpose cannot 
well be changed.” 

During all this conversation madame seemed to be a 
willing, but not a particularly interested listener. She 
thought, it is true, that her niece had escaped the atten- 
tions, or would escape them, of a fashionable and thrift- 
less young man, by his departure to a distant land, and 
she inwardly rejoiced to hear him say that his purpose 
was fixed and unchangeable. 

The evening had rolled away on the swift wheels of 
time, and the moment was now come for Charles to take 
his leave. It was on the eve of the sailing of the ship 
La ReinCf and he felt that he must not prolong his stay. 
As he rose to take his leave he gave to Madame Duilly a 
kind adieu, and as he pressed the hand of Julie, in a 
tone so tremulous with emotion as scarcely to be under- 
stood, she said : 

Do not go, Charles, I shall be unhappy when you 
are gone, and the streets of Paris will never again be 
pleasant to me without the hope of sometimes meeting 
you in my walks. ’ ’ 

Julie would have said more, but she was withheld by 
the watchful eye and the listening ear of her aunt. And 
so, with a fervent pressure of the hand, and a pang of 
the heart they parted ; he, to prepare for the stormy 
passage across the ocean, and she, to sit down in the 
little room of her aunt, less happy than ever before in 
her life, and to think and dream of shipwrecks, drowning 
men and all the perils of the sea. 


96 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


CHAPTER VIII 

\ 17 HEN another day had come and gone, Juli6 was 
^ ^ fully conscious that she should never see Charles 
again. He had, accompanied by Enrico and his faithful 
servant Pierre, set out from Paris for Havre, the port of 
embarkation. Julie began to reproach herself for what 
she thought might have been seeming coldness in her 
parting from Charles, and almost wished she could have 
accompanied him in his voyage of adventure, while good 
Madame Duilly, seeing the sadness that preyed on her 
mind, secretly rejoiced that one, who would be so likely 
to captivate and be captivated by Juli6, was now beyond 
her reach ; at the same time endeavoring to divert her 
thoughts from a subject so dangerous to her peace. 

With the possibility which was suggested in the mind 
of Julie, that she might, by a little more earnestness and 
sincerity in the expression of her real feelings, have 
united her fortune with Charles, and so have been the 
companion of the difficulties and dangers he would be 
likely to encounter, came the hope that it might yet be 
so, though several days had passed away and no light 
had broken in upon her gloomy thoughts. The painful 
reality was present to her mind, and hope was giving 
way to despair, when one day it accidentally came to 
her knowledge that a small vessel, containing stores for 
the La Reine, was to sail down the Seine from Paris to 
the seaboard. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


97 


A resolution was now formed by Julie more honourable 
to her promptness and decision of character than to her 
feelings and duties towards her aunt. It was necessary 
in order to ensure success, to act with the greatest 
secrecy and caution. With a woman, to wish is to re- 
solve, and to resolve is to act. It was possible she might 
see Charles again before the ship sailed, and taking the 
small purse which contained the fruits of her industry for 
many weeks, she left her home on the morning of the 
day the little craft was to sail, her aunt supposing she 
was going to her daily task as usual. 

Proceeding directly to the Ny7npharella^ around which 
were gathered a throng of curious spectators, she stepped 
on board without any definite plan for her future action, 
but animated solely by the hope that she might see 
Charles once more. In addition to the freight a few 
persons had been taken as passengers, among whom was 
Barnabe, and Julie was added to the number without 
exciting any particular attention. Quietly the little vessel 
passed down the river and was soon beyond the bounds 
of the city. 

Julie now felt that she was separating herself from 
home and friends, and for the first time began to con- 
sider seriously whether she had altogether done right in 
thus abruptly leaving her home. The mind of every one 
strives to justify to itself the acts committed by the indi- 
vidual ; and when the motives of a deed are not such as 
immediately to afford full justification, it strives to find 
or to invent such as would be a plausible reason for ac- 
tion. Such was the conflict in the mind of Julie. Could 
she justify herself to her aunt? She feared she could not 


98 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


do this even to her own satisfaction, much less to Madame 
Duilly’s. She felt that she had sometimes been placed 
under too great restraint, and with this thought it was 
easy to imagine that her aunt had not always used her 
well. If she could bend her own conscience to make 
this representation, others might be satisfied with it. 
This was the only justification she could offer, and the 
suggestion of it even, was the one dark shade in her 
character. 

Night came, but with it came not to the home of the 
widow her cherished niece. Seven, eight, nine and ten 
o’clock was counted with anxious expectations. Mid- 
night came, but not the lost child. Again the clock 
struck one in solemn tones, as if to admonish her that 
another hour had passed, and that she was still alone ; 
and so the hours were counted with a melancholy and 
fearful precision till morning dawned. The first light of 
day led Madame Duilly to the couturiere, the scene of 
her niece’s cheerful work ; but another pang was sent to 
the heart of the anxious woman, when she was told that 
during all the preceding day Julie had not been there. 
Some one however had seen her at the riverside, and 
thither Madame Duilly thoroughly alarmed and disheart- 
ened directed her steps. Looking upon the waters that 
rolled darkly along, her pent-up feelings found vent in a 
long and heavy sigh ending in heart-breaking sobs. Was 
she sailing on its swift current, or had she perished be- 
neath the waves ? These to her were questions of terri- 
ble uncertainty, and of appalling fear. Time alone 
would reveal which, if either, should prove true. 

Wearily and sadly that lone woman retraced her steps 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 99 

to her low roofed cottage, but there was left to her neither 
comfort nor hope. The voice of her young companion 
was not heard there ; her sweet face was nowhere to be 
seen, and the heart-sick woman was left alone to strug- 
gle with her sorrows and to make her way through the 
short remnant of her life as best she could. Her lot 
seemed to her to be a hard one. 

Julie Delorme in her wild and romantic enterprise, 
had reached the La Reine before the time of sailing, but 
had not been seen by Charles. The vessel sailed out of 
port with a fair wind and a mackerel-gale,^ with canvas 
spread and her pennant streaming in the breeze. Three 
days passed and she is joyously going on her way. The 
novelty of a sea voyage is beginning to wear away. 
Something is necessary to keep up the spirits of this ad- 
venturous band. There were among them soldiers, sail- 
ors, merchants, artisans, traders, trappers, politicians and 
priests, some eager in the strife after fortune and renown ; 
others ambitious to extend the power of France over the 
vast regions they were to explore, and others, full of en- 
thusiasm, going forth under the banner of the cross to 
proclaim the triumphs of the Christian faith to the wild 
men of the woods. 

Of this latter number was Enrico, the newborn cham- 
pion of the Catholic faith. An ascetic in his devotions 
and in the tenacity of religious faith, he was in all things a 
Jesuit in his intercourse with men and the world. He 
had so well worn his priestly character that he had al- 

1 This term is still in use among mackerel fishermen. A mack- 
erel-gale being a wind that either ripples the surface of the sea, or 
is suitable for catching that kind of fish. 

LofC. 


100 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ready begun to be designated by the sailors and his com- 
panions as Father Enrico. Yet it was the part of wis- 
dom, as well as of policy, for him to impose as little 
restraint as possible upon his fellow-passengers. They 
were growing weary with the tedium of the voyage, how- 
ever, and would fain amuse themselves as best they could. 
But few women were on board, mostly wives of some of 
these adventurers, and they kept themselves as retired as 
possible. 

It may be mentioned rather as a characteristic of the 
faith of the Jesuits, than as the dictate of his natural 
propensities, or the result of education or habit, that 
Enrico, as much as could be, avoided the sight of a 
woman’s countenance. Indeed, he was frequently obliged 
in the practice of that self-denial which he prescribed to 
himself, to turn away, lest he should involuntarily get a 
sight of those fairer forms and nobler natures w'hich God 
had made in the image of himself. Sometimes he even 
resorted to scourging to keep down even the innocent 
enjoyments of the senses. 

But there were those who had not and could not, so 
subdue their earthly natures to the control of the spirit 
within them, as to keep themselves free from the vices 
and follies of the world. All were dreaming of some 
trial of skill in the capture of the wild game of the New 
World, or of courage and cunning in overreaching or 
conquering the wily savage. One had been trying the 
elastic power of the steel trap, and descanting upon the 
peculiar habits of the beaver by the capture of which 
he was hoping to gain a fortune ; another had been try- 
ing with his musket, to take upon the wing the little 


THE KINO AND TEE CROSS 


101 


birds that were flying near the ship. But these and other 
sports soon ceased to amuse either themselves or others. 

To the sailor this little storm-bird, the Petrel,^ is an 
object of unusual veneration, and to destroy it or do it 
harm, would in his opinion, bring misfortune to the ship 
and crew. Those who are strangers to the deep and its 
perils, would feel no particular scruples in taking the life 
of these interesting winged tenants of the sky; but the 
sailor who has, a thousand times perchance, been threat- 
ened with death by the fury of the winds and the mighty 
upheaving and troubling of the waters, and who has 
ever been preserved by the beneficent hand of Provi- 
dence, feels that these familiar birds, equally with him- 
self, are entitled to the care and protection of the great 
Creator and Father of all; and he would not, as he 
values his own life, shorten, even by a breath, the dura- 
tion of their existence. Then flutter on, ye winged 
worshippers, and if ye are not safe from the violence of 
man, through the love he bears to all the works of his 
Creator, his superstition, or what is called such by the 
world, will be sufficient for your protection. 

But some amusement the idlers on board the La Reine 
would have. Ever and anon a restless spirit would pro- 
pose something new, which would be followed till it grew a 
weariness, when it would be dropped for something else. 

<‘What say you, Pierre,” said he of the trap, “ to a 
game of ombre? 

1 Petrel, — from Petre, Peter. The allusion being to the action 
of the bird, which seems to walk on the sea, like St. Peter. The 
Storm-Petrel is frequently called Mother Carey’s chicken. 

2 Ombre. — A game of cards played by two, three, or five persons. 


102 


THE KING AND TEE CEOSS 


‘^Agreed!” was the ready answer, and they were 
soon seated in a convenient place and began the game. 

<<What wickedness is this,” said Enrico, crossing 
himself, <‘to waste a precious life in vain sports ! Is it 
not enough that you should strive to take away the lives 
of those beautiful birds around us, but must you also 
throw your own souls away ? ’ ’ 

“Time is only lost,” said Pierre, “to him that fails 
to enjoy it, and in that respect, I doubt not, yours is as 
much lost as our own ; ” and he shuffled the cards, then 
extending his hand to the trapper, desired him to cut 
them. 

“By the mercy of St. Peter,” said Father Enrico, 
“ that I should behold what cannot be prevented or 
avoided,” kissing at the same time the golden crucifix 
that hung on his breast. 

Pierre dealt out the cards with the skill of a practiced 
hand. Red spots and black flew around with the rapid- 
ity of birds upon the wing, and Pierre had never taken 
more pleasure in bringing down with his musket one of 
the feathered tenants of the sky, than he did in taking 
from the trapper some favorite spot, the capture of which 
might settle the contest in his favour. Kings and queens 
flew about with the quickness of ordinary mortals. All 
the idlers about the ship became spectators in the absorb- 
ing game and began to feel an intense interest in the 
strife of the players. 

Thus game after game was played until the lookers-on 
had taken sides with their favourite champions. Even 
the worthy father, it might have been observed, showed 
a deep interest when the king was played, his loyalty 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 103 

making him a not indifferent spectator when that emblem 
of royal power was obliged to yield to an inferior. The 
trapper had oftenest been the loser and under the ex- 
citement he offered a wager. A piece of gold fell from 
the hand of Pierre which was instantly covered by his 
opponent, the bystanders catching the contagion of the 
example, and the partisans of each player, challenged 
them to sustain their boast with their money. 

Father Enrico looked with reverence and fear upon 
his crucifix. The money of the contending parties 
glistened in their hands, and each one distrusted the sin- 
cerity and honesty of his opponent. Who should hold 
the stakes? All were enlisted in their feelings. Father 
Enrico alone being thought sufficiently indifferent to be 
trusted, but he would have refused. 

Get ye to your prayers,” said he, crossing himself, 
^^and ask to be forgiven for the wickedness you have al- 
ready committed, and to be preserved from further trans- 
gressions.” 

The words of the father were lost upon them, and they 
became almost furious in their contentions. They must 
be quieted or excesses would follow ; perhaps violence 
and blood. He could not perform miracles and he must 
work by human means. 

^‘St. Peter, forgive me ! ” said he, looking again upon 
the cross and making that holy sign upon his breast, as a 
protestation that it was not an error of the heart that he 
was about to commit. He extended his open hands, and 
coin by coin the stakes were placed in them. 

■ The game now proceeded with greater interest than 
before, but with less commotion. If the presence of 


104 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Father Enrico could not restrain men from what he him- 
self and perhaps others might think in the highest degree 
sinful, he might by his moderation prevent the excesses 
and injurious consequences that might otherwise ensue. 
The spectators were silent and intent, as it was evident 
the players were concentrating all their mental energies 
upon the game. Each was endeavouring to make a strong 
point against his adversary, as much perhaps for the 
pride of success, as on account of the stakes involved. 
Gaming was then as it is now and doubtless will ever 
continue to be, an exciting and all absorbing vice, swal- 
lowing up alike all the mental and physical powers of 
man, at the same time utterly destroying the moral ele- 
ments of his nature. 

The game of ombre was nearly at an end, the critical 
point being already reached, when a cry of alarm was 
heard from the deck. 

“Play! play!” said the trapper, thinking that from 
the excitement of the moment he might take his opponent 
at a disadvantage. Down fell the king from the hand 
of Pierre, which was as quickly taken up by a trump 
played by the trapper. The smile of the victor was on 
his lips, and a shout of triumph burst from the crowd of 
friends surrounding him, when another cry came from 
the deck, but this time it was a command ordering all 
hands to their posts. 

At the same instant a crash was heard, the vessel reel- 
ing from side to side, and while the successful competitor 
and his friends were clamoring for the coins they had 
won, they were thrown in a heap upon one side of the 
ship. More fearful than all, there came upon the ear a 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


105 


cry, it was a cry of despair, that sounded the tnore 
awful, uttered as it was with the piercing shrillness of 
women’s voices. A sudden squall had struck the La 
Reine when she had all sails set to catch the fainting 
breeze, and the mainmast was partly carried away. 
The gale was now rioting with the tattered sails and 
broken spars. 

Father Enrico raised aloft his cross and looking upon 
it, invoked the Holy Mother for the safety of the ship 
and the preservation of those on board. Some, in the 
agony of fear, had fallen on their knees, and for the first 
time in their lives perhaps, the language of prayer was 
upon their lips. The least alarm, even upon the quiet 
stillness of the ocean, comes with awful foreboding ; but 
when of a sudden, the wind comes howling like a fam- 
ished wolf eager for his prey, and the cries of the timid 
are heard above the roar of the elements ; when even the 
brave stand still and await the result in dread silence ; 
then body and soul are overwhelmed with an appalling 
fear. 

In the midst of the tumult and confusion there ap- 
peared one who had not before been seen. A slight and 
willowy form moved lightly towards that motley throng 
who were agitated with conflicting and discordant emo- 
tions, some of whom were struggling for the money they 
claimed to have won ; some calling on human aid for 
deliverance from danger and others on bended knees ap- 
pealing to their Maker for help. With her white hands 
extended, her countenance radiant, and a voice so sweet 
and angelic, that one who had ever dreamed of celestial 
harmonies might easily have believed that the visions of 


106 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


sleep had been verified by reality, whispered, “Peace! 
peace I ’ ’ 

She had, unseen by them, discovered the cause of 
their contention, and when they saw among them a be- 
ing unknown, and till that moment unseen on board the 
ship, they were hushed to silence. Extending her open 
palms to Enrico, who was no less amazed than the others, 
in the same soft voice she murmured “ Charity 1 charity I 
Let these coins which are now but the wages of sin, be 
regarded as drops of golden dew to be scattered abroad 
by the hand of benevolence. ’ ’ 

Her silver tones rung in the ears of Father Enrico. 
He more than half believed that the Virgin Mother had 
again become incarnate, and appeared to them to rebuke 
their strife and banish their contention ; and he dropped 
in the open aumoniere which she held out to him, the 
gold and silver so hardly striven for. Then she vanished 
as quickly as she had come. Her disappearance was no 
less mysterious than her advent. It might have been 
supposed by some, from what followed, that Father 
Enrico knew the cause of what to others appeared to be 
supernatural, but in reality he was as ignorant of it as 
any of those who were present. 

“Holy Father,” exclaimed he, at the same time kiss- 
ing and elevating the cross, “defend us from the as- 
saults of the devil, and make manifest to us the errand 
of the unknown being we have just beheld, for we know 
not whether she be matter or spirit, substance or 
shadow ! ” 

The guilty and self-accusing spirit of Enrico brought 
to his mind the indignity that had been offered by him 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


107 


and Charles in forcibly carrying Pauline away from her 
home. “Can it be,” thought he, “that the vision we 
have seen is the image of that gentle, loving and trust- 
ing but injured girl, who has now come back to trouble 
us ? ” The thought of this hung over his imagination 
like a dark pall, and he could not avoid communicating 
his thoughts and feelings to Charles. 

“ The forms of the absent and the dead do indeed some- 
times return to us,” said Charles, “ and it may be that 
this is the reembodied spirit of some lost one who has come 
to revisit us. The soul set free from its prison of clay 
may roam about the universe at will, and at pleasure 
assume the shape of the body it once inhabited, or that 
of any other. The figure we saw was too slight for 
Pauline, and I fear,” looking earnestly and almost with 
solemnity at Enrico, “ that my sweet sister is dead.” 

“God grant that it may not be so,” replied the con- 
science-stricken Enrico, “for the spirit of one so pure 
and gentle should not be tormented with roaming about 
the world to visit those from whom it has suffered in 
life. I cannot but believe that to her the release of the 
soul from the body will be the immediate entrance into 
Paradise.” 

Charles however believed in the supernatural and was 
much troubled in mind, while Enrico was not entirely 
free from the same feeling. Notwithstanding, he thought 
good use might be made of this propensity in the human 
mind for the marvellous. 

“Some one of you,” said he, addressing himself to 
those who had been parties to the wagers that had been 
made, “have done an injury to an unprotected woman, 


108 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


and she has come to confound you and to take away the 
gold, which is not only corrupted by moth and rust, but 
doth of itself corrupt and even destroy the affections of 
the heart.” 

The storm had passed away almost as suddenly as it 
came. All were now hushed into quiet, and nothing 
more was to be feared from their unbridled passions. 
Again the same gentle figure appeared among them but 
she was now more closely watched than before. She 
bore in her hands the same coins she had carried away 
and freely exposed them to the view of all. 

“Take what is thine,” said she to each one whom she 
supposed to have had a share in them ; but no one dared 
to lay his finger upon a single piece of the money. 
As she caught the eye of Charles, he instantly recog- 
nized her as the beautiful grisette with whom he had 
parted at Paris; as he feared, never to meet again. 
Not seeing Charles at the ship, by the aid of one of the 
women and scarcely knowing what she was doing, she 
had concealed herself in the vessel and as she suffered 
from mal de mer had not before been seen by any one. 
To this moment had been reserved the welcome saluta- 
tion and the cordial hand clasp, that mark the unex- 
pected meeting of friends after a long and painful 
separation. 

Father Enrico, who now saw that he was actually 
looking upon a form of flesh and blood, a sight fraught 
with so much danger to his spiritual life, was struck 
dumb with amazement when he saw the familiarity of 
Charles, and ventured to administer a summary rebuke. 

“I believe,” said Charles, “whatever may be my 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


109 


ideas of theology in this instance, at least, in the 
doctrine of the real presence of flesh and blood. The 
form we have before seen as a mystery and now look 
upon, is not the wandering spirit of a departed being 
again become incarnate to visit the world, but the 
nobler and diviner form of humanity, subject like our- 
selves to suffering and to death ; like us too susceptible 
of the sentiments of love and hope, of fear and affec- 
tion, of joy and of sorrow.” 

As he spoke, the truth of his words was evidenced 
by the bearing of Julie herself, for all of the paissions 
or sentiments to which Charles had alluded were striv- 
ing for supremacy in the bosom of the grisette. She 
loved him, and rejoiced that she had been able to meet 
him. Full of affection for her aunt, she both hoped 
and feared to see her again, and though she could 
know nothing of what had happened at home since she 
left, the image of her kind aunt was often before her. 
She could see her rising up with hope in the morn- 
ing and following down the street she was accustomed 
to take to her daily task in search of her. Finding no 
tidings, she would return to her lonely dwelling and 
one by one look through the little rooms, still without 
any trace of her, would look vacantly out of the win- 
dows resigning herself to mourning and almost to 
despair. 

Thus the days passed away with the recurrence 
of the same troubled thoughts haunting Julia’s mind. 
Meanwhile the damages to the La Reine had been 
repaired and the ship was bounding on her way ; 
day after day accommodating her course to the direc- 


110 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 


tion of the winds and gaining a high northern lat- 
itude. 

It was now the thirty-first of August with the 
weather tolerably calm, but as darkness approached, 
the captain ordered the sails to be unfurled to catch 
the freshening breeze and to keep their course steady 
through the night. The watch was set and in the 
confidence of security each one went to his rest. 
The first hours of the night were quietly passed, mid- 
night came and went without alarm, but while dark- 
ness was yet upon the deep, there was both heard and 
felt an awful concussion of the ship, to which succeeded 
the creaking of broken spars and the groaning of cord- 
age. 

All hands on deck ! ” was the fearful cry that went 
down into the depths of the Za jReine, followed by 
shrieks of terror from the startled sleepers. It was 
soon evident that the vessel had sprung a leak, but in 
the darkness and confusion of the moment, it was im- 
possible to ascertain the extent of the injury. Water 
was pouring into the hold, and who could say how soon 
they might be overwhelmed and lost ! 

The captain, a brave Frenchman, Leoncourt by name, 
coolly ordered every man to his post of duty; the 
pumps were manned, while the sailors below their breath 
were cursing the ill fortune that had come upon them ; 
reckless alike of danger or death. The voices of some 
of the passengers could be heard in an agony of prayer, 
and loudly, almost violently, calling on the name of 
the Lord to rescue them from their perilous situation, 
as if his eye were darkened that he could not see. 


THE KING AND THE GROSS 


111 


or his ear deafened that he could not hear. Others 
there were, who, in the dignity and sublimity of the 
Christian faith, knelt silently down ; and were breathing 
a prayer from their scarce parted lips, bearing witness 
to the faith and hope that was in them, trusting in 
him who alone could control the winds and bid the 
sea be still. 

In the midst of that intensely agitated group, stood 
Father Enrico with his eyes fixed upon the crucifix 
which he held in his hand. Many of those who had 
been most wicked, whose vices he had rebuked, 
but whom he could not subdue, gathered around him 
and besought his counsel. 

Repent ! Repent ! ” said he. Be baptized, be- 
lieving on the name of the Lord, and you will be saved ! 
Not saved, perhaps, from the doom that now threatens 
to bury in the deep both the just and the unjust, but 
saved from the pains of purgatory and everlasting 
torments.” 

Many looked up to him for spiritual aid and conso- 
lation in this hour of trial. As they knelt around him 
he dipped his handkerchief in the water which was ever 
and anon dashing over them, and holding erect his 
crucifix on which he directed them to fix their eyes, he 
administered to them, by aspersion, the rite of baptism. 

<*Fix your eyes,” continued he, ‘^upon the cross, re- 
membering the sufferings of Christ who died that you 
might live ; and by faith and by prayer, lay up for your- 
selves treasure in heaven whereby you will gain a crown 
of glory that fadeth not away.” 

This missionary to the pagans of the New World had 


112 


THE KING AND TEE CROSS 


become a preacher to the heathen of his own land. But 
there was one among them as beautiful in her pious 
resignation as she had been lovely when in the pursuit of 
worldly pleasures. With closed eyes but uplifted counte- 
nance, as if in communion with her Heavenly Father, radi- 
ant with the light of peace and love, Juli6 Delorme was 
kneeling in prayer, and in full view of her, silently gaz- 
ing upon her illuminated face, and drinking in as it were 
every lineament of her beauty, stood the watchful and 
adoring Charles. He was so absorbed in the contempla- 
tion of the scene, that it seemed as if he had forgotten 
to pray for himself and was hoping that his own soul, on 
the wings of that young girl’s prayer, would find its way 
to heaven. 

Morning came, and the object of terror stood revealed 
in awful distinctness before them. The ship had struck 
an iceberg and the immense mass hung frowning over her 
like a dark mountain, the height, or depth, or extent of 
which, in the indistinctness of early twilight no man 
could conjecture. The least motion of this huge monster 
of the Arctic seas might yet overwhelm the Za Reine^ and 
all would be lost. 

With the increasing light of day came the warm glow 
of hope, and when it was found that the ship was not 
seriously injured, confidence began to be restored, and 
by the skill of the captain she slowly and safely moved 
out of danger, proceeding on her course. When the 
vessel first emerged from the gloomy shadows of the ice- 
mountain, whose peaks jutted high in the air, and the 
enlivening rays of the sun fell upon the canvas, there 
was indeed cause for thankfulness and joy. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


113 


*‘We ought to be devoutly grateful,” said Father 
Enrico, “for our deliverance from this great danger.” 
He thought to inculcate, as his profession required of 
him, a great moral duty ; his professional pride was 
somewhat wounded, and he was taught a beautiful lesson 
of humility, when, turning his eyes in another direction, 
he saw the lovely grisette full of thankfulness and devo- 
tion, with the same modest yet speaking countenance up- 
turned to heaven and her soul seeking communion with 
the Father of Light. The eyes of Charles had followed 
those of Enrico, and he too stood in the same silent ad- 
miration. 

“The hearts that are fullest, soonest overflow,” con- 
tinued Enrico. 

“If I could ever feel devotion,” said Charles, “it 
would be now when gazing on a face like that. When I 
looked upon those features in the moment of our greatest 
danger, so calm, so pure, so holy, I could willingly have 
died, but that I wished to live for her sake. O, if life 
could go out at so happy a moment, I should be at peace 
with all the world ! ’ ’ 

“You cannot go to heaven on another’s faith,” re- 
sponded Father Enrico. “Every man must answer for 
the deeds committed in his own body. Pardon for sin 
cannot be received through the prayers of another, as 
nothing but personal repentance or good works will 
enable the wicked to escape the punishment due to their 
transgressions.” 

The worthy father was interrupted in the midst of this 
homily by a cluster gathering about the side of the ship, 
where some motive of curiosity seemed to attract them. 


114 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


One of the sailors was pulling at a line, while others 
were watching to see the sport. He had thrown out a 
baited hook in the hope of taking a fish, and had caught 
a dolphin which was testing the strength of the line and 
would have proved a hard match for his human antago- 
nist but that the sailor had the advantage in position and 
could at any time call for needed assistance. 

As the sailor pulled away the dolphin floundered with 
all his might, his glittering scales, as they were upturned 
to the sun, exhibited all the signs of the most violent 
rage. At length, exhausted by his struggles he yielded 
and was drawn on deck. The color of this fish is silvery 
white with spots of the brightest yellow ; but as he lay 
upon the deck in his dying agonies, the beautiful colors 
that belonged to him in the fullness of life were changed 
to purple and gold, alternately coming and going like the 
brightening and fading hues of the rainbow. Lying 
there after putting on the leaden hues of death, it 
brought to mind the poetical history of that noblest one 
of the species which came at the sound of music and 
bore the plundered and drowning merchant to Tgenarus, 
and the Jesuit thought he could perceive something al- 
most human in the dead fish before him. 

The impending dangers of the sea had been passed ; 
the fears of all had been driven away, but other and 
severer trials were in store for them. Days and nights 
had passed in safety since the collision with the iceberg. 
They were near the great banks of Newfoundland, when 
a most alarming illness appeared among the passengers 
and crew. An epidemic swept through the ship like the 
invisible power of the pestilence ; most of them being 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


115 


prostrated, and many were helpless to an alarming de- 
gree. By the bedside of those, like a ministering angel 
was the incomparable Juli^, while over the dying, with 
crucifix in hand and prayer on his lips, was Father 
Enrico, administering consolation and performing the 
rite of baptism. 

‘‘Painful is the condition of these poor fellows,” said 
Julie, “but I find a melancholy pleasure in ministering 
to their wants. To have smoothed the pillow of one 
who is so helpless, and at the same time so grateful for 
the kindness, will ever be a comfort to me ; should he 
die, I shall feel that the blessing of a departed spirit will 
come back to visit me in the hour of trouble.” 

As she spoke these words, she was bending over the 
bedside of Charles, who, in the strength and pride of 
manhood had been struck down by the finger of disease. 

“To rescue his soul from the pains of purgatory,” 
said the Jesuit, “ would be the highest honour to which I 
dare aspire ; the value of a soul is indeed most precious.” 

Father Enrico had followed mademoiselle to the couch 
of her cherished friend. He thought that Death had 
put his seal upon him, and that his head would never- 
more be raised from his pillow, but by the hands of his 
surviving friends. He therefore proposed to him the 
rite of baptism and offered to administer the sacrament 
of the consecrated wafer, but the confidence of Charles 
Servien in the recuperative energies of his own constitu- 
tion was such that he could not feel the necessity of so 
solemn a service. 

Julie herself had not submitted to the spiritual direc- 
tion of Father Enrico, but she was naturally religious 


116 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


and she begged Charles to acknowledge the cross and 
become obedient to the faith. Either from the pride of 
his heart or his repugnance to the doctrines of the Jes- 
uits, he refused, and he lay there in the eyes of his friend 
Enrico, a hardened and incorrigible sinner. 

The offices of physician and nurse were faithfully per- 
formed by the father and the young grisette, and Charles, 
with many others rapidly recovered. But Death had cut 
down one of the strongest of men who might have been 
supposed longest to have withstood his power. This 
man had, in his dying hour been shriven by Father 
Enrico, and had partaken of the sacrament at his hand, 
in consequence of which the worthy priest no longer 
thought his entrance into paradise a matter of doubt, and 
as the La Reine was entering the turbid waters of the 
mighty gulf of the St. Lawrence, the body of their de- 
parted brother was committed to the deep. Then it was 
that Father Enrico felt that he had laid up for himself a 
precious treasure in heaven, by winning a soul into the 
fold of Christ. 

Many were the menial services performed by the Jes- 
uit for the sick and suffering on board the ship. Some 
had been prostrated by loathsome diseases ; he humbled 
himself to the performance of every needful office for 
them, and they looked up to him with a trust and confi- 
dence which could not be shaken. Could the voice of 
the spirit of Enterprise and Christian philanthropy have 
been heard, it would have said : “ Go on, proud bark, 
bearing to the untutored savage the knowledge of God, 
and pouring into his darkened understanding the light of 
the glorious gospel of Christ.” 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


117 


The gallant ship did go on, and what was accom- 
plished by those heroic men and women, shall be told 
hereafter. At Cape Diamond, where then nestled the 
feeble hamlet but now frowns the impregnable fortress of 
Quebec, the “ Gibraltar of America,” the La Reine 
came to anchor. 

It was a beautiful morning in September, and a light 
silvery haze partly veiled the magnificent landscape. 
Fair was the sight, and great was the enthusiasm of the 
weary voyagers who now beheld it for the first time. 

The sombre pine, the glassy beech, the russet oak, the 
graceful ash, the lofty elm, each with their different 
autumnal hue,” but far beyond all in beauty, the maple 
brightened up the dark mass with ^^its broad leaf of 
richest crimson.” As they disembarked, priest and 
trader, merchant and magistrate, father and matron, 
young man and maiden, representing all those classes 
that were to people that portion of New France, bent to 
kiss the ground they had so long desired to see, and as 
they did so, felt a thrill of joy and pride in what thence- 
forth was to be, for a time at least, their adopted country. 


CHAPTER IX 


HE period of our story was not long after the second 



^ occupation of Canada by the French. The popu- 
lation was then small, but the elements of growth and 
greatness were not unobserved. A few adventurers had 
before visited the place since the restoration of the coun- 
try to the French Crown, and some had remained there 


118 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


for the purpose of trafficking with the natives for furs. 
Had the poor savages known the true value of the prod- 
ucts of the chase in the eyes of the refined and the rich 
of the old world, they would have felt themselves the 
monarchs of a prouder land than the empire of the 
Bourbons. 

The hearts of this little band of adventurers were 
pained at the evidences of paganism everywhere around 
them, for the religion of the natives of this, like all other 
barbarous countries, was one of the grossest superstitions. 
They had never conceived, and could not comprehend 
that one God could govern all the varied and compli- 
cated arrangements of the universe, for in their belief a 
God resided in and controlled each of the elements, and 
the ravages of fire and water, the thunder, the lightning 
and the storm, were but so many manifestations of sev- 
eral distinct divinities. Some of their deities they be- 
lieved to be local, while others pervaded all space. 
Sacrifices or oblations were sometimes made to the genius 
of a great waterfall, or a dangerous rapid, in the hope 
thereby to evade some fearful peril. 

Though formal possession had been taken of the coun- 
try after the restoration, yet it was thought important to 
commemorate the arrival of this little accession to the 
infant colony, and the furtherance of their important 
religious movement, by some appropriate ceremonial. 
All had effected their landing but most of their belong- 
ings were still on board the ship. The small band of 
Europeans who were there before them, with the gov- 
ernor and the little garrison, came down to the water’s 
edge, and when they looked upon those, strangers 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


119 


though they were, who had the same complexion and 
spoke the same language as themselves, they manifested 
the wildest and most delirious joy. 

Father Enrico as he stepped on shore bore the crucifix 
in his hand. It was the same precious symbol on which 
he had riveted his eyes, when, in the terrors of the storm, 
or threatened by the iceberg from the polar seas, he had 
prayed to God, and his Son Jesus ; to the Blessed Vir- 
gin, and implored the intercession of the saints to deliver 
him from sudden death. Following this, as well with 
the eye of faith as with the organs of their sensual vision, 
the little band marched up from the river bank chanting 
as they went, a sacred song descriptive of the heroism of 
the Christian missionary, and the triumph of his death. 
The place was to be made vocal with the evidences of 
their faith. Upon the elevated ground which overlooked 
the spot where now stands the city, they raised a rustic 
cross, and, side by side with it they placed the emblem 
of French dominion. This was a proud day for the fol- 
lowers of the Jesuits and for the agents of French colo- 
nization. 

There,” said Father Enrico, ‘Gs the standard to 
which we must turn our faces in the hour of trial and 
danger, as did the Jews towards the city of their love.” 

*‘This will be a hallowed place to you,” responded 
Charles, “ for there you will gather the pagans of this 
new land and explain to them the doctrines of the faith 
you hold so firmly.” 

can well believe,” said Enrico, when I think 
what a vast country is here in possession of such a be- 
nighted race, that the Evil One himself peopled it, and 


120 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


that he was so short-sighted as to believe that the gospel 
of Christ would never find its way here. But the Lion 
must be bearded in his den. The Father of lies shall be 
followed through all his earthly haunts, and the errors 
of his false teachings shall be swept away.” 

While these things were transpiring, a dark band of 
natives gathered around them with a mysterious expres- 
sion of wonder on their countenances, as if they were 
endeavouring, in vain, to comprehend these strange do- 
ings of the pale faces. The minds of Charles and his 
companions were evidently occupied with the thought of 
what would be the value in the shops of Paris ^ of the 
fur clothing of many of these sons of the forest. It must 
also be confessed that Pierre and Barnabe were at this 
moment thinking less of the emblem of the sufferings of 
Christ, and of the symbol of the power of France, than 
of the arts of taking the wild game of the woods that 
furnished this luxurious covering for a no less wild peo- 
ple ; while Julie and the rest of the women were filled 
with compassion and pity for the degraded condition of 
this portion of the human race. 

In strange contrast with these, were the Hurons and 

1 From the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries the trade of the 
furrier in Paris was most flourishing and profitable. Balzac says, 
that “the difficulty of obtaining furs, which, being all brought 
from the north, required long and perilous journeys, gave a very 
high price and value to those products. . . . Naturally the 

sumptuary laws about the wearing of furs were perpetually in- 
fringed upon, to the great satisfaction of the furriers. The costli- 
ness of stuffs and furs made a garment in those days a durable 
thing — as lasting as the furniture, the armour, and other items of 
that strong life ” of the time. 


THE KINO AND THE CEOSS 


121 


Algonquins, filling the air with shouts and yells of joy 
for an event which they only dimly comprehended. 
With the Hurons or Wyandots it had been the policy of 
Champlain as early as 1608 to form an alliance. This 
purpose he believed could best be effected through the aid 
of the Jesuit missionaries. The Hurons, it was thought, 
would be favourable to the measure for the purpose of 
gaining the assistance of the French, to protect themselves 
from their ancient and hereditary enemies, the Iroquois. 
The French too would find their position in the country 
strengthened by securing the friendship of the Hurons, 
having nothing to hope for from the faithful but cruel al- 
lies of the English. 

To accomplish this purpose it was necessary then and 
later on that they should use means adequate to produce 
the result. To the French the language of the Hurons 
was no more intelligible than the howling of the wild 
beasts of the wilderness ; while, to the natives, the speech 
of the court of the Bourbons was as a sealed book. 

These nations must have been at Babel when the 
tongues of all peoples were confounded. How then 
should they communicate with them ? The language of 
signs is so complicated and uncertain, that it can never be 
of any practical utility. Who then shall speak of the 
Jesuit ? Some of the garrison had become a little famil- 
iar with the vocabulary of the Hurons and might aid 
them ; but, it was the pretended policy of the Jesuits, 
not by any means, to make the religious depend in any 
degree upon the civil power. 

Here is a swarthy complexioned youth, with the fea- 
tures and something of the bearing of the Europeans, but 


122 


THE KJNG AND THE CBOSS 


the eye and the dark skin of the savage ! His dress, too, is 
for the most part that of the aborigines, though he seems 
not unfamiliar with the governor and the men composing 
the garrison. There is one among them he salutes as 
father, but his mother is of the tribe of the Huron s. In 
him is the blood of two races combined ; he speaks the 
language of both ; and through- him, the political inter- 
ests of both are united. 

There had already been erected a rustic chapel, and 
thither Europeans and natives repaired, where, amidst a 
general thanksgiving the Te Deum was chanted by the 
assembled multitude. Months passed away, and little 
more was accomplished than the establishment of a series 
of religious services, for which purpose the Indians had 
been brought together as far as possible, and some slight, 
but not very successful attempts made to establish a 
school for the education of the Huron children, but a 
few ecclesiastics and a small number of nuns could do 
but little in so vast a field of labour. 

Aid, however, was at hand, and the united efforts of 
numbers will make the work seem more light, and the re- 
sults will be more quickly and clearly manifested. An- 
other vessel arrives ; with it comes those who are to toil 
in the vineyard, another small band of Jesuits, besides 
others of gentler spirit and more devoted piety, as well as 
equally full of enterprise. The missionary spirit of a 
young and rich widow from France, Madame La 
Duchesse d’ Aiguillon, has been aroused, and she comes 
with a few nuns to devote her life to the propagation of 
the Catholic faith. Among the new arrivals is also 
Charles Servien's friend, Maurice Tautevoix, who comes 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


123 


to better his fortune. Like those who had preceded 
them they kiss the earth on landing, and are received 
with every demonstration of joy. 

The religious enthusiasm of Madame d’ Aiguillon, the 
famous niece of Richelieu, had been awakened, and she 
determined to expend her fortune in founding a convent 
to be named in honour of St. Ursula. The nuns were to 
aid in the enterprise, but their personal services and their 
pious examples were all they had to give. Schools could 
be established, and the children of the Hurons instructed. 
A little flock only had gathered about the place for the 
temporary purposes of trade, for the principal settlements 
were far away towards the great lake, the name of which 
they bore. But these missionary heroines thought the 
few stragglers that were there, not undeserving or un- 
worthy of their efforts. 

<< Go to this little band of your kindred,” said Madame 
d’ Aiguillon, addressing herself to the Interpreter to 
whom she had at once become endeared, and declare 
to them that we are sent by their great father, the King, 
to tell them the history of their creation by the Great 
Spirit j how by the violation of his laws and by disobedi- 
ence to his commands they have fallen into sin ; and how 
by the sufferings and death of his son Jesus Christ, they 
have been promised forgiveness and redemption from 
punishment.” 

“We worship,” said the Interpreter, “ a God whose 
voice we hear in the thunder, and whose form we see in 
the clouds. Our chiefs say he is a great warrior ; that 
the bow we sometimes see in the heavens, is the weapon 
with which he strikes down his enemies in battle. But 


124 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


our brothers, the French, worship a God whom they can 
neither see nor hear, and they say that the story of that 
Supreme Being is written in a book ; but this book they 
cannot read, and know not whether it be true. ’ ’ 

‘‘We want,” said Madame, “to gather together the 
children of your nation and show them how to read this 
wonderful book, and they can then know whether it be 
true. It will tell them that all men are born to die ; how 
Christ the glorious Son of God, triumphed over death and 
the grave, and now lives and reigns as the King of 
heaven, and that all who are good shall go there when 
they die and live with him in the happy hunting grounds 
forever. ’ ’ 

It is not strange that the heart of the Interpreter was 
moved by the fervour and zeal of Madame in behalf of 
his wretched race ; that through him the feelings of these 
simple natives were touched, and that they readily prom- 
ised to yield to her instructions. In due time the con- 
vent was established, and within its rough hewn walls 
was a small chapel where the Indians resorted to admire 
and worship the image of St. Ursula, and to learn from 
paintings and images the great facts of the birth, life and 
death of Christ. 

The education of the Huron children was attempted 
by the faithful nuns, and if success did not entirely crown 
their efforts it was not for the want of zeal. The story 
of their endeavours will live as one of the most interest- 
ing episodes of the history of the time. As there are 
among the stars of heaven those of greater and of lesser 
lights, so, among those pious and self-devoted women, 
there were some, the brightness and the purity of whose 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


125 


characters and lives, shone out with a holier and a more 
divine radiance. 

Away from the sight even of the rustic sanctuary, un- 
der the spreading limbs of a venerable ash which afforded 
both shade and shelter in sun and storm, the noblest and 
best of these nuns was accustomed to gather from the 
neighbouring huts and wigwams, the Indian children, and 
instruct them in the rudiments of learning and religion. 
Far down into the then future, and reaching almost to 
the present, lived and perhaps now lives, that time- 
honoured tree, where that beautiful, self-denying one, 
like the vestal virgins who watched the sacred fires of 
Roman liberty, so famed for chastened piety, genius and 
good judgment, toiled, though in vain, for the culture of 
the Huron children. She was known and remembered 
by all good Catholics as ** Mary of the Incarnation.”^ 

In the meantime a colony of Hurons had been founded 
at Sillery, near Quebec, where it was intended the un- 
tutored savages should be trained to the faith and in- 
structed in the manners of civilization. Father Enrico 
no longer stood alone as the champion of the cross. 
Around him and that infant colony were gathered a little 
band of Jesuits, who like him, had by fasting and prayer, 
by watching and scourging, and other mortifications of 
the flesh, withdrawn their affections from the world, and 
enlisted as soldiers of the cross. They were ready and 

1 Marie de 1’ Incarnation of Tours was a very remarkable 
woman, a stately figure of the time. “ She had uncommon talents 
and strong religious susceptibilities, joined to a vivid imagination.” 
Withal she was “ gifted to a rare degree with the faculties most 
useful in the practical affairs of life.” 


126 


THE E:iNG Am THE CEOSS 


anxious to fight the battles of faith, and though confident 
that God would give them the victory, they were willing 
to die, if need be, in its defense. To them it was 
counted as great glory to suffer for the cause of Christ, 
and ^‘the flame of their zeal, fed by an ardent hope, 
burned bright and high.” 

A party of friendly Hurons who had in their frail 
canoes sailed down the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence, 
and had exchanged their furs for such clothing and 
trinkets as the French traders were able to supply, were 
about to return to their country; and the Jesuits, Jean 
de Breboeuf and Gabriel Lalemant intent upon proclaim- 
ing the gospel to the Hurons in the heart of their own 
country, determined to accompany them, braving with 
them the terrors and the toils of a long and painful 
journey. 

The Jesuits were not only surrounded by difficulties 
and dangers, but death itself stared them in the face. 
Yet the grim old King could neither conquer nor appal. 
Was one cut down when standing at the post of duty or 
in the field of danger, another was ready to take his 
place. Did one faint by the way from physical weak- 
ness, another more strong was ready to take up the same 
line of march until the goal was reached, the object 
sought achieved. 

The French had left a little handful of men at a small 
garrison at the mouth of the Sorelle. Death might visit 
them too, and some one might die unshrived and unfor- 
given. It would be hard for these sentinels on the 
watch-towers of French dominion to yield up their last 
breath without a confessor, so Father Anne de Novi, in 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


127 


the depth of a severe winter set out from Quebec to per- 
form this holy office, but he had to war with nature and 
the elements, as well as with the wily savage and the 
crafts and assaults of the devil. Losing his way in the 
pathless snows of the immense forests, alone with no eye 
but that of his Heavenly Father to behold him, he sank 
down and died, the strength of his body failing him, 
while his soul retained a triumphant and sublime energy. 
Upon a tree at the foot of which his bones were found, 
he had carved a cross and the initials of his name, and 
suspended from them an evergreen twig as evidences that 
he had died in the triumphs of faith and the hope of im- 
mortality. 

O what afflicting news was this to the devoted Jesuits ! 
Some of that small garrison might have died without re- 
ceiving the consolations of religion so grateful to the 
repentant sinner in his last hour; while others might 
soon be in need of the same spiritual comfort. In this 
emergency uprose the gentle and faithful Lalemant, re- 
solving to brave the same perils as those who had gone 
before. He had fulfilled his former mission and re- 
turned, and was now ready for further trials and further 
sacrifices in the same great work of converting the natives 
of New France. 

Another of the brotherhood had been taken away 
by death. He was passing through a rapid on his re- 
turn from the Hurons when his frail bark struck the 
rocks and was dashed to pieces, and he was drowned 
in the angry waters. He could not, like him that per- 
ished in the snow, leave a memorial of his faith and his 
hope behind ; but he had left in the hearts of the simple 


128 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


people he went to teach, a monument more enduring 
than that which is carved on trees or cut in the rocks. 
He was remembered and loved by the Hurons. He had 
intended to return to them and his place must be filled 
by another. His successor, like himself, might be over- 
whelmed by the rough waters ; but the Jesuit who was 
true to the theory of his Order, was bound to look at the 
hope of success and the salvation of souls, regardless of 
the fear of danger or of death. Lalemant was ready to 
undertake the expedition unprotected and almost alone. 

The day of their departure was one of solemn prayer 
in the little chapel. His brother Jesuits, the nuns with 
veiled faces, and most of the French settlers had gath- 
ered together, and after they had knelt and prayed to 
the Virgin, and asked the intercession of the saints to 
protect Lalemant and his companion from the dangers they 
were about to encounter, solemn mass was celebrated, 
and their souls were devoted to the enterprise while at 
the same time it was feared that their bodies were doomed 
to death by some accident of field or flood. 

“I go,” said Lalemant, as Paul went to Jerusalem, 
not knowing the things that shall befall me. I know 
that afflictions may abide with me ; but none of these 
things move me. I must fulfill the ministry which I 
have received of the Lord Jesus to testify of the gospel 
of the grace of God.” 

“Go forth,” said Enrico, “and whatever perils you 
may meet, God will give you strength to overcome them, 
or the courage and resignation to submit to them. In 
all trials, and in all temptations he will be with you, and 
have you in his holy keeping.” 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


129 


forth,” said Madame, ‘‘we will all pray to the 
Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Angels, that the hearts of 
the Huron women may be warmed with sympathy and 
love for you both, who, through so great dangers, would 
bring to them the glorious gospel of peace, and teach 
them the story of their own immortality.” 

“Go,” added the beautiful Mary, “for the sake of 
those dear little mortals, the Huron children, such as I 
have gathered under the sacred ash, to lead in the way 
of truth and knowledge.” 

Lalemant, though a man whose character was all 
meekness and gentleness, was possessed of a lofty and 
unfailing courage as was also his companion de Breboeuf, 
and his last words, the declaration that he would go and 
do his whole duty, was received and answered with the 
silent eloquence of tears. Their departure however was 
to be postponed for a day in order that the perilous en- 
terprise might be carefully reviewed by the friends of 
both of these noble men. It is due to them to say that 
they never once faltered, though those around them be- 
gan to be filled with forebodings for the safety and suc- 
cess of the undertaking. 

The whole band was few in number, and feeble in all 
else than their sublime courage, their untiring zeal and 
the moral grandeur of their faith. After further consul- 
tation it was decided that their forces should be divided 
and that those best able to endure the fatigues of travel 
should accompany the missionaries as far as Montreal, 
leaving behind a small garrison to protect the nuns and 
the single ecclesiastic who would remain. Some of those 
also who were engaged in secular pursuits were to be 


130 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


transferred to that place, and more extended arrange- 
ments were to be made by them for the prosecution of 
the fur trade. And so the little company, among whom 
were Charles Servien and Father Enrico, Pierre, Bar- 
nabe and the Interpreter, were to take leave of Quebec 
and of the friends they left. 

Painful would be the parting of Charles with Julie 
Delorme, whom he must entrust to the especial care and 
guardianship of his friend Maurice. 

“Will you leave me so soon after I have suffered so 
much to come to you in a distant land ? ’ ’ asked she, her 
eyes filling with tears and her heart almost bursting with 
emotion. 

“ Ma chere, I must carry out the special object I had 
in view when I took the long and dangerous voyage to 
this country,” replied Charles. “ A trading-house must 
be established, engaging at once upon the traffic in furs, 
for which purpose we must cultivate the friendship of the 
natives at different and distant points. Besides, I am 
acting for my King and La Belle France as well as for 
myself.” 

Julid answered this appeal with a burst of feeling 
which cannot be described ; but said no more at that 
time, trusting, as she always did, future events to be de- 
termined by future circumstances. 

When the morrow came it was decided that the com- 
pany already mentioned should escort Lalemant and de 
Breboeuf to Montreal, and after seeing them set out from 
that point upon their long and arduous mission, and mak- 
ing a friendly visit to some of the Indian villages near by, 
they should then return to Quebec. 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 


131 


The adventures of their march may be passed over as 
affording no incidents meriting any particular descrip- 
tion. It is sufficient to say that the toilsome journey was 
accomplished as it was planned, and that Lalemant and 
de Breboeuf took leave of their friends, and entrusting 
themselves to the frail canoes of the Indians, whose 
treachery might at any moment put an end to their lives, 
they set their faces towards the Huron wilderness. 


CHAPTER X 

S EVERAL years had elapsed and the Huron colony 
had been attended with a moderate degree of pros- 
perity, and the convent of St. Ursula had become an in- 
stitution dear to the hearts of the natives and to all good 
Catholics. The alliance recommended by Samuel de 
Champlain who died on Christmas day, 1635, had been 
perfected with the Hurons, and their intercourse with the 
French continued to be peaceful. The labours of the 
missionaries had met with much success, and the strongest 
sympathy was awakened in France for their continued 
prosperity and increase. Religious societies in Paris and 
in the provinces joined in prayers for the advancement 
of the cause ; the neophytes received magnificent presents 
from the King, and all the princes and prelates of France, 
and even the Pope himself, listened with interest and ad- 
miration to the romantic story of a nation of heathen 
converted to the Christian faith. 

The little colonies which had been planted at Sillery 
and at Quebec were not to be neglected, and the flourish- 


132 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ing convent was to be sustained and encouraged. Many 
a Huron woman had received the greatest kindness at the 
hands of the pious Sisters who dwelt there ; and number- 
less Indian children had been taught something of the 
knowledge of God, but it became expedient to establish a 
rendezvous for the convenience of the Huron mission in 
a more central position. The island of Montreal was the 
point selected, it being at the mouth of the Ottawa, the 
great river which extended its branches far into the 
Huron country, and over a large portion of the distance 
to the central station of the mission. 

Active preparations were made for the departure of 
those who were to take up and continue the work estab- 
lished at Montreal, where a slight intercourse had been 
kept up with the place since it was first visited by the 
Jesuits and traders. In the little company which was 
now ready to depart were Charles and Father Enrico, 
Pierre, Barnab6 and the Interpreter, all bound upon this 
new enterprise. 

The relation in which Charles and Julie stood to each 
other had been changed. The union they had so long 
anticipated had been consummated, but their separation, 
limited though it might be, would not be the less painful 
on that account. Already enfeebled by the fatigues and 
exposures incident to a new and unsettled country, 
Julie could not at that season of the year endure the 
hardships of such a toilsome journey. When friends 
were separated in those early times, in a country which 
was an entire wilderness, peopled only with savages, there 
was always great uncertainty about their ever meeting 
again. Charles possessed the physical hardihood which 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


133 


a life of activity and energy alone could produce, and as 
Julie still retained the high moral courage which had al- 
ways characterized her, she was not unequal to the occa- 
sion. If there are trials to be endured in a barbarous 
country, there will ever be found the hearts and the hands 
possessing endurance. 

During the years which had passed since the settle- 
ment of the Jesuits at Quebec, the few followers who 
had accompanied Father Enrico from France were en- 
gaged, each in his chosen avocation ; some in promot- 
ing the interests of the Roman Catholic Church ; some in 
favouring the political purposes of the French government; 
others still in bartering with the natives for the furs which 
were the products of the chase. Now that the position 
of some of these persons was to be changed, there were 
others besides Charles Servien and Julie his wife, who 
had their sorrows. 

Lingering about the group of departing travelers was a 
young, lissome Huron girl named Yahshu, who possessed 
more than the ordinary attractions of these dark-eyed 
daughters of the forest. Her history may be told in a 
few words. The daughter of a chief, she was the be- 
loved object of the affections of the eccentric Barnab6. 
She had in her untutored and artless innocence, followed 
him when out upon the chase if the range taken by him 
was not too far from the wigwam of her father. She had, 
almost with the lightness and activity of the fairy in the 
scallop shell, paddled her birch canoe to the place where 
he had set his toils for the beaver or the bear, and there 
she would watch around with ready oars and willing 
hands to carry him wherever he wished to go. 


134 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Was he ever prostrated by any of the diseases incident 
to an inclement season or an unfamiliar climate, she 
cared for him as far as possible, and when her black and 
brilliant eyes rested on his face, their look was to him 
the light of hope. Wherever he went she was with him 
like the shadow of himself. She was the good angel 
who watched over him, sometimes preventing him from 
receiving injuries ; frequently warning him of danger, 
and always with him in the hour of need. Not to have 
loved her, he must have been more or less than man. 

Barnabe had however a good heart, susceptible of the 
gentler and purer sentiments of humanity. Created of 
widely diverse races and born in distant and different 
portions of the world, there was yet a common bond of 
sympathy between them, and in the destiny of life, or 
the dispensation of Providence, or what you will, they 
were destined for each other, though they are now to 
separate, and the varied threads of their lives shall be 
mingled into one. 

The Indian maiden says little or nothing in the pres- 
ence of others, especially if any are strangers to her; 
but in a few simple and expressive signs may be com- 
prehended thoughts, feelings, hopes, fears, aspirations 
and disappointments ; the history of untold enjoyments, 
or of unutterable sorrows, that would fill volumes of the 
written history of civilized life. 

The Huron girl looked upon Barnabe, and the gaze 
was returned by him. Soft eyes looked love to eyes 
that spoke again,” though not a word was uttered. Bar- 
nab6 looked upon her again and then pointed in the di- 
rection in which his journey lay. He would have 


TEE KING AND TEE CROSS 


135 


spoken, but many ears were open and a multitude of eyes 
were upon them, though the full import of his meaning 
was comprehended by Yahshu. Casting her eyes to the 
ground, and taking up a dry stick of the size of her fin- 
ger, she quickly broke it in his presence into two parts, 
as if to show that violence was done to the feelings of 
both by the separation about to take place. And then, 
placing the two parts together again to show how they 
might be reunited, she handed one-half to the sorrowing 
Barnabe and carefully placed the other in her bosom. 

The Interpreter, with an eloquence which seemed to 
be the deep inspiration of passion and truth, explained to 
the assembled Hurons the object of their mission, and 
amidst the shouts of the savages and the encouragement 
of their own friends, with the white flag as the emblem 
of innocence and peace waving from the walls of the 
convent, the party set out with almost the stately formality 
of a military expedition. Toiling up against the strong 
current of the St. Lawrence in their canoes, and some- 
times carrying them around the more rapid parts of the 
river, not defying, but overcoming the dangers and 
difficulties of the way, a few days brought them to the 
large triangular island of Montreal at the confluence of 
the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence, with Mont Real, from 
which it was named, rising seven hundred and fifty feet 
above the harbour. 

It was in the year 1642 that a Jesuit band with the 
martial figure of Maisonneuve, followed by Father 
Vimont, Superior of the missions, clothed in the rich 
vestments of his office, at their head, erected a cross 
upon the site of what is now a splendid city, and in 


136 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


token of their attachment to the crown, as well of their 
zeal for the Faith, they planted by its side a standard 
bearing the Lily of the Bourbons. The converted Indians 
gathered around them and by the celebration of a solemn 
mass before an improvised altar, formal possession was 
taken of the place and allegiance to the French Crown 
acknowledged. 

Ever memorable will be the day when this impressive 
service was performed beneath the spreading branches of 
a great tree and the blue canopy of heaven, by a few 
religious enthusiasts in the presence of a dark throng of 
the natives, many of whom, but a moment before had 
heard for the first time the glad tidings of the gospel of 
peace. The place was first called Ville Marie, but some 
time afterwards it came to be known by its present name, 
Montreal. 

About two years after the above event, it was Father 
Enrico who was its master spirit. Of him it must be 
confessed that he was less remarkable for cherishing in 
himself the sentiment of piety than for creating it in the 
hearts of others. He had undertaken this mission with 
activity and apparent zeal ; it may be with sincerity, but 
others had come to the work more true than himself, and 
it is feared that, even at this early period, he was becom- 
ing the most artful of Jesuits. Perhaps he sympathized 
with Charles, Pierre and Barnabe in their struggle for 
gain. Mass was hardly finished the first morning after 
their arrival when Charles began to look with covetous 
eyes upon the gala dresses made of the richest furs which 
some of the Hurons wore, and it is believed that he was 
countenanced by his priestly friend. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


137 


Christie! ” said he to the Interpreter, <Met us open 
our box of trinkets and bargain for some of those rich 
beaver skins. We will begin with the chief.” 

Christie had seen much of the arts of traffic, and he 
knew that the French in their dealings with the Indians 
always had the best of the bargain, but to this he had no 
particular scruples if he himself could gain anything by 
the barter. Affecting, however, a little unwillingness to 
aid in defrauding those with whom he claimed kindred, 
he was at once put to silence by some curious toy he had 
not before seen, for Charles always kept something in 
reserve for whatever emergency would be likely to occur. 
The little Indian pride that was in him was excited, and 
in a moment he presented himself before the chief with 
an ostentatious display of his vanity. 

<‘Come,” said Christie to the Huron, addressing him 
in his native tongue, “and I will show you more of these 
beautiful things.” 

The chief followed while Christie led the way to the 
spot Charles had selected for his traffic. There was his 
box of gewgaws exposed to view j Pierre and Barnabe 
sitting by it, one on either side, to see that its contents 
were not pilfered away. 

The chief fixed his eyes upon a small bunch of 
coloured beads, and the harsh gutterals he uttered was 
an enquiry of the Interpreter as to the value of them. 

“That beaver skin which he has about his shoulders,” 
answered Charles, when the question of the chief had 
been interpreted to him. 

The reply was received by the Huron through Christie, 
and instantly the fine beaver was laid off while the chief 


138 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


rejoiced in the possession of the bauble. A warrior stood 
by his side with equally rich apparel, but he had no 
beads and looked with envious eyes at the chief. 
Another bunch was drawn from the box by Pierre, and 
the Indian was made to understand through the Interpreter 
that the same price was demanded for this which had 
been received for the other. The warrior despoiled him- 
self of his covering as the chief had done before him, and 
he too had a trinket. 

The crowd of Indians began to thicken. Each one 
coveted some of the beautiful ornaments, and Pierre con- 
tinued to draw from the box, while Barnabe received the 
furs which were given in exchange. When signs were 
not sufficient for the purpose of concluding the trade, the 
Interpreter supplied the deficiency. In like manner the 
traffic was continued while knives and hatchets, pipes 
and brooches were disposed of till the simple natives were 
nearly stripped of their clothing. 

The Frenchmen were amused at the stoical indifference 
with which they parted with articles not only of luxury 
and show, but of real comfort. Christie smiled when he 
saw their shabby appearance as they were tricked out in 
their finery, while the furs they had but lately worn lay 
piled in a heap under the care of the watchful Barnabe. 
The chief, however, pointed in the direction of their hunt- 
ing grounds, and what he said was explained by the In- 
terpreter to the effect, that they were swift of foot and ex- 
pert with the arrow, and that they could soon replace all 
that they had parted with. 

Who bids for this? ” spoke Charles, as he drew from 
the box an object he had not before exhibited, a small 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


139 


mirror. Christie took it and placed it before the eyes of 
the chief who had never before seen anything so wonder- 
ful. He grinned as he saw the reflection of his own 
features, and the image grinned also. He smiled, and 
the image reproduced the smile. When he frowned, so 
also did the image. Scowl answered back to scowl. The 
savage was confounded. He plucked with his fingers at 
the nose of that mocking representation of himself ; but a 
smooth surface repelled his grasp, and he saw a large 
hand come to meet his own. Still the counterfeit was 
there. He looked at the back of the glass but nothing 
was to be seen. The figure must have vanished before 
he could go behind it or turn it round. Again he looked 
at the face of the mirror and the same grim visage was 
there. Alarmed and awe-struck he asked almost with a 
shudder, if it was a God. In his barbaric wonder he had 
forgotten the religious teachings of Father Enrico. 

<Ht must be some great medicine,” said he, after he 
had exhausted every other conjecture. “ Can it cure dis- 
eases? ” he questioned, as he bethought himself of the ail- 
ments and bodily afflictions of his people. 

‘^Noj it can do none of these things,” answered 
Charles, through the Interpreter, it can only make 
faces.” He took another glass and held the face of it 
towards the other in such a manner that the image formed 
in one was reproduced in the other, and both these again 
were multiplied in their turn to an indefinite extent. 
Looking once more the savage saw a long line of warriors 
decked like himself with feather and plume, and he could 
not but believe that some great spirit was at work. 

How can this be ? ” asked the chief. “ I never was 


140 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


afraid of my enemies in battle, but I tremble when I see 
so many heads and can find no bodies. Do they live in 
the air, and cannot mine eyes see them without the help 
of this glass? ” 

‘‘None of your suppositions are true,” responded 
Charles, and he endeavoured to explain the cause to the 
chief, but he could not make him believe. “See!” 
continued he. As he said this, he took one of the glasses 
and by a blow from a hammer, broke it into a score of 
pieces. The Huron looked down with wonder upon the 
broken fragments as each gave back a separate and dis- 
tinct image. He looked inquiringly at Father Enrico for 
a solution of the mystery, and the wily Jesuit thought the 
crude notions of the savage might be turned to good ac- 
count. 

“ The long line of images you see in the glass,” said En- 
rico, “ are the heads of so many warriors we can, at any 
time, call to our aid against our enemies should they make 
an attack upon us. If the glass is broken, the figures 
multiply, and the more numerous the fragments, the 
greater the number of images. So if we are broken in 
battle we shall rise up with increased numbers, and the 
more we are bruised, the greater the host of warriors who 
will come to our suj^port.” 

The chief and his braves listened and were silent. But 
there was something else which the worthy Father partic- 
ularly recommended to the notice of the peaceful Hurons. 
These were rosaries and crosses. 

“ Here,” said Enrico, as Charles held up a little brazen 
cross, “is something worth more than all other orna- 
ments that can decorate the human body.” 


THE Kim AND THE CROSS 141 

‘‘Pure gold,” said Charles, “and warranted not to 
rust.” 

“ It will even look the brighter after passing through 
the fires of Purgatory,” added the flippant Barnabe. 

“By looking upon this,” said the serious Jesuit, to the 
neophytes who were crowding around him, “ you will be 
able to fix your thoughts upon the true cross, where the 
Son of God died for the sins of the world, for red men 
as well as for the pale faces.” 

All these things were faithfully communicated to the 
Hurons by the Interpreter; and when they heard but 
could not comprehend the mysteries of the Catholic faith, 
they expressed, through him, the strongest expressions of 
wonder, that the God of the white men differed so widely 
from their own Great Spirit, whom they recognized as the 
creator and ruler of the world. 

“ And here,” continued Charles, “ is another beautiful 
object which assists the wanderer in finding his way to 
the regions of the blest ; ” and he held up to the admiring 
gaze of the savages a string of glass and brazen beads, 
which he laid around the neck of the chief 's wife. To 
judge from the rapture manifested by her, if she had not 
already been supposed to have started on the Christian’s 
pilgrimage, this would almost have been sufficient for her 
conversion. 

“This serves a different purpose from the cross,” said 
Father Enrico, “ though it tends to the same end ; to 
lead the soul to heaven. By looking upon that, you are 
reminded of the great purpose of your lives, to strive to 
imitate Christ who died on the cross, that you may be re- 
ceived by him into glory. It is to enable you to call to 


142 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


mind the prayers you must repeat before you can enter 
into those beautiful fields of Paradise. This bead is the 
Pater Noster; this one the Ave Maria, and that is the Te 
Deum.” 

The Indian woman uttered an expression of great de- 
light when this explanation had been repeated to her by 
the Interpreter, and answered that she thought it was a 
pretty thing to pray by running the glittering beads 
through her fingers in the manner described by the 
priest. Rapidly were the Huron women supplied with 
the rosaries, but Charles took good care that the pile of 
furs should increase as fast as his stock of beads dimin- 
ished. 

Father Enrico, who was fast becoming worldly and 
shaking off the restraints he had imposed on himself, 
taught these simple natives that by thus trafficking with 
the French, they were performing a work particularly ac- 
ceptable to their great father, the French King, and that 
all they gave for their rosaries and crosses enhanced the 
favour with which he would regard them. 

When this course of trade was exhausted some new 
source of profit was to be sought out and entered upon. 
As yet Pierre and Barnab6 had seen little of the charac- 
teristic sports of hunting and trapping for which they 
had prepared themselves, but they now made prepara- 
tions for a short expedition up the Ottawa. In this they 
were joined by Charles Servien, Father Enrico, and the 
Interpreter, and were also to be accompanied by a num- 
ber of intrepid men of that class who were called by the 
early French settlers, voyageurs, ^ the leader of which 

1 The voyageurs were half-breeds ; later on known as French 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS t43 

was Jacque Mordacque, a man of superior intelligence 
and unquestioned courage. 

It was late in the season and ice had already once or 
twice skimmed the river in the still water near the shore, 
before the party set out from Montreal. They launched 
their bark canoes upon the waters of the Ottawa, and by 
the strength of their own sinewy arms they were able at 
once to overcome the force of the current. They had 
set out in the morning and all day they plied at the oars 
and when twilight came upon them, they were near 
twenty leagues from the mouth of the river. Here, near 
the spot where a small creek or inlet entered the Ottawa, 
they encamped for the night. 

With the early dawn of the following morning they de- 
cided to make an exploration of the country round for 
the purpose of discovering the haunts of the beaver. 
Leaving their boats concealed in a thicket near by, they 
continued up the banks of the little stream carefully 
watching their appearance especially near the water, but 
saw no signs of the beaver till after the lapse of many 
hours, when they came to one of those singular and 
really wonderful structures called beaver-dams. 

Now we may look out for the houses of the beavers,” 

Canadians, a race of hardy woodsmen and skillful bush-fighters. 
Formerly they were employed by the fur companies in transport- 
ing merchandise by the waters of the rivers and lakes, and across 
the land to and from the remote stations of the northwest. The 
race of voyageurs is now almost extinct, although as late as 1884, 
a number of them were employed by the British government in 
conveying stores, etc., up the Nile in the expedition for the relief 
of Khartoum. 


144 THE KING AND THE CEOSS 

said Jacque, as he set foot upon the dam and proceeded 
to cross the stream upon it. It was a compact structure 
several feet in width, composed of the trunks and branches 
of trees collected together in an irregular manner, the in- 
terstices filled with stones and mud, the whole mass being 
so well packed as to be able to resist the action of the 
water and to make a perfect dam across the stream, en- 
suring to the beavers that build their houses in the banks 
above it, that the water shall not fall below the entrance 
to their dwellings. In this particular case the dam was 
slightly curved or arched up the river, for the purpose, 
as is supposed, of making it the better able by its in- 
creased strength, to successfully resist the force of the 
current. 

The whole party crossed the dam admiring the firm- 
ness and solidity of the formation, and marvelling at the 
ingenuity and power of the sagacious animal, by whom, 
as they were told by the voyageurs, the great work was 
executed. Following up the stream a little further, they 
discovered that many twigs and small branches of trees 
had been cut off by the teeth of this strange animal, thus 
giving evident signs of their presence in the immediate 
vicinity. Numerous stumps of small trees were also 
seen, readily suggesting to the mind of the unpracticed 
observer that the axe of the woodman had been there. 

These are the indications of beaver,” said Jacque, 
** and we may expect to find them near by. The dam is 
also a sign, but they are sometimes found where there are 
no dams if the water is not subject to a rise and fall ; 
oftentimes they abandon a place where one has been 
built if they are much annoyed by the hunters, so that 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


145 


these signs are always more sure tokens than the dams.” 
A few paces more brought the party to a considerable 
number of small conical elevations of the ground near 
the water’s edge. 

‘‘Here! ” exclaimed the voyageur, crying out at the 
top of his voice and with evident animation, “ are the 
houses of the beavers. There is a large settlement of 
them, a real village, perhaps the metropolis of beaver- 
dom!” 

“By all the saints,” ejaculated Father Enrico, who 
had not then seen one of these wonderful creatures, “do 
the beavers build houses and live in towns like men ? ” 

“Well you may wonder,” replied Mordacque, “but 
the houses you see are indeed the work of the beavers 
themselves. The dam we have just passed over is also 
the work of their hands, for hands they have which they 
use almost as ingeniously as human beings.” 

The Jesuit as well as most of the others had crossed 
the dam without comprehending that it was constructed 
by the labour of animals guided by instinct only. The 
first thing to claim the especial attention of the party was 
the dwellings of the beaver. The Interpreter had before 
seen much of this kind of hunting ; to Charles, Pierre 
and Barnabe it was as novel as it was to Father Enrico. 
All therefore looked to Christie and the voyageurs for 
directions as to the manner of proceeding. If properly 
managed here might be obtained a rich harvest of furs 
to be transported to Maurice at Quebec, and in exchange 
they might procure many articles of comfort and even 
of luxury for the colony at Montreal. 

“There are many ways of taking the beaver,” ex- 


146 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


plained Christie. ^‘Sometimes they are baited with 
castor, which is a substance of a strong penetrating 
smell taken from the groin of the beaver. Occasionally 
this is rubbed upon the tender twigs or young branches 
of trees, the bark of which this animal is accustomed to 
eat, and placed under water near their haunts, beneath 
which is concealed a steel trap. Thus as the eagle nurses 
the pinion which guides the arrow to his breast, so the 
body of the beaver furnishes the lure that leads to its 
own destruction.” 

Another way of taking them,” added Jacque, “ is 
when the river on the banks of which their houses are 
built is frozen, to cut holes in the ice and then destroy- 
ing their abodes. This drives them into the water and 
when they come to the holes to get air, they are beaten 
on the head and killed by the club of the hunter. But 
the water is not frozen now, and another course must be 
pursued. The beaver is, for the most part, a nocturnal 
animal, and a portion of them at least are in their abodes 
by day, when they may be taken by closing up the en- 
trance which is always from the water, and then destroy 
the houses themselves, when they are easily captured. 
This plan has perhaps one serious disadvantage, that, if 
the dwelling-places are wrecked without success, no 
second attempt of the same kind can be made, while 
bating and trapping may be continued for many days, or 
for many weeks in the same spot.” 

The whole party then proceeded under the direction 
of Jacque and the other voyageurs, to drive a row of stakes 
along the edge of the stream in front of the houses of the 
beavers so as to be sure to obstruct every passage that might 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


147 


communicate with the water. They then stationed their 
whole force at different points when an attack was made 
upon several of the houses by thrusting sharpened sticks 
into them, and removing portions of the earth that 
formed the roofs. While this was going on the dogs 
could scarcely be restrained from plunging into the small 
opening that was made, long before the beavers could be 
reached. They were, however, kept in check, till, by 
the efforts of the men the sticks and branches of trees 
which composed the frame work of the house were up- 
raised so as to lay open one of the apartments, when a 
huge beaver rushed forth; but he instantly received a 
blow from a club which somewhat stunned him, when 
he was seized by the dogs and quickly despatched. 

All of the party to whom the sight of this animal was 
new gathered around it, admiring the firmness of its fur, 
and its curious formation. 

A wonderful creature, truly ! ” exclaimed Father 
Enrico. Is it possible that this animal, or any number 
of them, could have constructed the dam we passed 
over ? ’ ’ 

^<They do indeed, perform such great works,” an- 
swered Jacque, “and sometimes greater ones than this. 
See their forefeet, or hands, as we call them, and their 
teeth. These are the instruments of their labour. You 
see the stumps scattered about as if the axe of the wood- 
man had been here ! But the small trees that stood 
there have been cut down by the teeth of the beavers, 
and their hands have carried them to the water’s edge, 
where they have been launched and floated down with 
the current and used in the construction of the dam, or 


148 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


possibly some of them have found their way into the 
houses built here.” 

The attention of Charles and the others was now di- 
rected to the abode they had just demolished. To them 
its conformation seemed very curious. 

<< By St. Peter,” said Barnabe, ‘*if it is not built with 
beams and rafters, and with different apartments, as 
regular as a country cottage.” 

Barnabe was rather extravagant in his expressions of 
wonder, though what he saw was certainly very strange. 
As the beaver lay stretched out upon the earth, Enrico 
thought he saw something almost human in its look. 

‘‘Verily,” said he, “thou hast a genius almost ap- 
proaching to the reason of man ; thou that canst erect 
thine own dwelling, and even stay the progress of the 
waters.” 

This and much more of like character escaped the lips 
of the worthy Father. He even ventured to express a 
doubt whether an animal of so much intelligence did not 
possess, in some slight degree, a spiritual nature that 
would survive the death of the body. 

“It may be,” said Pierre, who had hitherto remained 
silent, more intent on watching for the game than won- 
dering at its peculiar nature and habits; “and our 
loved Father might perhaps do well to set up the cross 
and establish a mission among them, proclaiming the 
power of the French King ; and maybe you might also 
teach them to live like Christian people.” 

“ Merciful Father ! ” exclaimed the priest throwing up 
his hands and crossing himself. “ What wickedness is 
this, that a man should propose that our holy religion 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


149 


should be preached to brutes !” And the eyes of the 
Jesuit again rested upon the dead beaver. 

He is a regular carpenter,” said one of the voy- 
ageurs. “ He builds his own house, which is what few 
men can say, and many could not accomplish should 
they try ever so long.” 

^^He is a regular sailor, too,” said Christie, casting a 
significant look at the voyageur, as if to say that there 
were other creatures that understood the water as well as 
the class to which he belonged. He not only cuts 
his own timber, but he transports it by water to the place 
where it is wanted. Sometimes he cuts down a large tree 
standing on the brink of a river, so that it will fall 
across the stream and serve as the foundation for his 
bridge. His hind feet he uses to navigate his building 
materials. Look at his tail ; how hard it seems, covered 
with scales as it is. It has, in addition, great strength ; 
and being broad and flattened, he uses it to beat down into a 
compact mass the mud with which he builds his dam and 
his house. O he is a cunning little animal and can do many 
kinds of labour. His teeth perform the work of the axe 
and the saw, his fore-paws do the work of human hands ; 
his hind ones are the oars with which he propels both his 
body and his burthen ; and his tail is the trowel with 
which his walls are built. A perfect builder, both car- 
penter and mason.” 

In the same manner the party continued their attacks 
upon the settlement till the whole village was destroyed. 
Some of their houses contained several apartments and 
the occupants were never less than two, oftentimes as 
many as six or eight. When all the houses at this point 


160 


THE KING AND TEE CROSS 


had been demolished, their devastations were extended 
further up the stream. 

Three or four days were spent in this way when the 
whole party returned to their boats, each one burthened 
with as many beaver skins as he could carry, and again 
embarking on board their canoes, they entrusted them- 
selves to the current of the Ottawa and returned to 
Montreal. 

From this time Charles, Pierre and Barnabe were 
wholly taken up with the chase, and were rather the 
companions of the voyageurs on their hunting excursions 
than of the Jesuit missionary, thinking more of collect- 
ing the skins of the beaver and the bear, than of saving 
the souls of savages. 

Father Enrico and the Interpreter alone now had a 
care for the Hurons. But there came a voice of en- 
couragement across the wide waste of waters. A general 
supplication had been offered up in the Cathedral of 
Notre Dame at Paris, that the Queen of Angels would 
take the Island of Montreal under her special protection. 
■Enrico laboured to impress the Hurons with a description 
of the majesty and power of the French King, and gave 
a vivid word picture of the Queen of Angels, saying that 
•<‘all the converted Indians would be permitted to behold 
her face in heaven.” 

The chief inquired through the Interpreter what was 
the appearance of the Christian’s heaven; therewith 
Christie gave a glowing account of the paradise he ex- 
pected to visit after death. 

“It is a great valley,” said he, “through which flows 
a beautiful river ; where the deer and the elk, the moose 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


161 


and the buffalo, graze upon the rich pastures that over- 
spread the broad banks, and are always fat and young ; 
for there, age stands still, and decay is not known. Our 
bows will always be elastic, the cords will never break 
and our hatchets will never get rusty or dull. The river 
is full of delicious fish that never refuse to bite at the 
Huron’s hook ; our enemies are not permitted to come 
there, and the smile of the Great Spirit is over all. We 
shall carry our best bows and arrows, and all our orna- 
ments there, and be contented forever, never getting 
weary or hungry in the chase.” 

Father Enrico well knew that the Indian could not at 
once give up his belief in his own heaven, nor could he 
readily comprehend a spiritual Paradise. Neither could 
he be expected to understand abstruse points of theology. 
He must be instructed and interested by pictorial repre- 
sentations and such preaching as would appeal to his 
mind. 

If the Jesuits could not inculcate the vital essence of 
Christianity, they could exhibit the symbols of its great 
truths, and if the Indian mind could not grasp its sublimer 
doctrines, their senses could seize upon — what to them — 
appeared to be its more material parts. The priest had 
administered to those who had been baptized the conse- 
crated wafer, and had endeavoured to instruct them in 
the doctrine of the real presence of the body and blood 
of Christ, but they could not fathom its import. 

“And what then,” inquired the chief of Father 
Enrico, “ is your heaven ? ” 

“It is as Christie says,” answered the Jesuit, “a 
beautiful place, and a river, pure as crystal flows through 


152 


THE KING AND THE CliOSS 


it, but there is no game there. The place is full of good 
men and lovely women, and all the angels, the saints 
and the Holy Virgin, and God^ and Christ are there. 
In the midst of this enchanting place is a great golden 
cross, higher than the loftiest tree in the forest, before 
which they shall worship ; and there is no night there ; 
and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun ; 
for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign 
forever and ever.” 

“I thought,” said the chief, *‘that all our great 
warriors would be there, with the scalps of the enemies 
they had killed in battle, and that there would be hunt- 
ing and fishing and all kinds of sports.” 

“They will be there,” responded Enrico, “if they 
have repented and been baptized ; but if they die with- 
out embracing the Faith, they will burn in unquenchable 
fires forever. Some will escape after being in Purgatory 
a thousand years, if they have the prayers of the faithful. 
All great warriors who have been true to their nation and 
have fought well against their enemies ; if they do not 
go directly to Paradise, will come out of Purgatory, se- 
verely tried by fire, but unconsumed. Christ himself 
was a great warrior : he conquered many nations, and 
we, his priests on earth, will conquer many more. We 
want the Hurons to fight with us against all the enemies 
of the French. Our great King who governs France 


1 “ In no Indian language could the early missionaries find a 
word to express the idea of God. The priests were forced to use 
a circumlocution — The Great Chief of Men, or He who lives in 
the Sky.” 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


153 


has a right to rule over all the countries he can discover, 
and all he can conquer,” 

For a full year Father Enrico remained with the na- 
tives scattering among them the emblems of the Catholic 
faith and of French dominion. No opportunity was lost of 
filling their minds with the dogmas of the Roman Catho- 
lic Church, and teaching them the duty of submission 
to France, as well as that of the divine right of Kings. 
The religion he taught was the form of Godliness without 
the power. Crossing themselves before a picture of the 
Virgin, repeating the Pater, Ave, and Creeds, kneeling 
at the cross and saying an Indian prayer, and telling 
their beads constituted the worship of the Hurons. The 
use of a form was the acknowledgment of a principle. 

This year, in presence of the French assembled from 
all the occupied parts of Canada, and of the native war- 
riors summoned from the wilderness, the Festival of the 
Assumption was celebrated on the island. The story of 
the miraculous ascension of the Virgin was one of the 
sublime mysteries taught by the Church, and it was well 
adapted to interest an ignorant and superstitious people. 
This festival commemorated as it was at the ripening 
period of summer and amidst the grandeur and mag- 
nificence of the ancient forests where Nature had up- 
reared her thousand altars, simple and lofty, tended, per- 
haps, more than any other ceremonial, to create in their 
minds the sentiment of piety, and a belief in the princi- 
ples of religion taught by the Roman Catholic Church. 

To those untutored savages what was wanting in their 
intelligence, and their capacity for understanding the 
great truths of the Christian religion, was made up in the 


154 


THE KING AND TEE CROSS- 


easy credulity with which they received the most mys- 
terious teachings that their Jesuitical instructors some- 
times expounded to them. If they imbibed any of the 
doctrines of Christianity, they rested not upon that belief 
which is the result of such evidence as ought to bring 
conviction to the mind, but upon the most careless exer- 
cise of faith which gives full credit to the declarations of 
others. 

Such then were the red men of American forests. 
Trust ye, simple ones, in the teachings of those heavenly 
messengers, ,but woe to him by whom you shall be de- 
ceived. 


CHAPTER XI 



HE reader must now go back a little in the order of 


* time, to see what had been done for the cause of 
the cross and the French Crown in another part of this 
vast empire. Breboeuf^ had returned to accompany 
Father Daniel ^ to the heart of the Huron country. Leav- 
ing Quebec their course was laid by way of the Ottawa 

^Jean de Breboeuf was born at Bayeux, France, in 1593. He 
came of a noble family of Normandy and was finely educated. He 
accompanied Champlain to America in 1626, but three years later 
was carried a prisoner to England, Returning to the Huron 
country in 1632 he extended his labours to the Neutrals on the 
Niagara. In 1649 he was captured by the Iroquois, and put to 
death with the most fearful tortures. 

’Antoine Daniel was born at Dieppe in the year 1600; entered 
the Society of Jesus in 1620, and was slain by the ferocious Iroquois 
in 1648. 


mE KING. And the cross 


155 


and the rivers uniting with it, the journey being one of 
more than three hundred leagues. Through the day the 
missionaries toiled at the oar, and at night, with a scanty 
supply of Indian corn, such as they and their savage 
companions were able to provide, pounded and mixed 
with water, they made a thankful repast, then sank to rest, 
sometimes upon the cold bosom of the earth, and very 
often in their bark canoe. At times the impetuous river 
refused to bear their little bark upon its rushing tide. 
Now they were obliged to lift it from the water, carry it 
up the steep bank over the portages and above the rap- 
ids, launching it again upon the stream. With garments 
torn, bruised and bleeding feet, the breviary and the 
crucifix suspended from their necks, they advanced by 
river and lake, through tangled thicket and chill ravines, 
over rugged hills and through dense forests, ready at all 
times to confront death, till they reached the heart of the 
Huron wilderness. 

Within a few miles of the principal village of the Hu- 
rons, they came up with a small hunting party of that na- 
tion, who, seeing there were but two of them, did not 
resort to an ambuscade for the purpose of surprising and 
taking them prisoners, but came forward and met them 
as friends. Among them was one who was evidently, 
by his bearing, one of their principal men. He was the 
great war-chief of the Hurons, Ahatsistari. 

“Whence come ye, white skins as you are?” asked 
he in the dialect of his nation. 

“We come from the land of our great King, who lives 
far away beyond these mighty woods, and across a great 
water, as boundless as they,”’ replied Father Daniel. 


156 


THJEl KING AND THE CBOSS 


<^Why come the pale faces here ?” questioned the 
warrior. 

‘‘Because we have good news for our red brothers,” 
answered Breboeuf, drawing a beautiful golden crucifix 
from his bosom. 

The warrior as well as all the rest of his little band 
looked eagerly at it, as a thing of wonder, and, like most 
of the natives of the New World, attributed to it, as they 
did to everything they could not understand, some oc- 
cult power to heal. Earnestly they looked at the mis- 
sionaries and asked, as well as they could, in their own 
imperfect language and signs, for an explanation of its 
virtues. 

“It has indeed the power of healing,” said Breboeuf, 
“but it is not to cure the ills of the body. It is medi- 
cine for the sick and weary soul.” Then this brave, in- 
domitable Jesuit and the good Father Daniel, tried to 
turn the thoughts of the warlike band of savages away 
from external things, to the contemplation of their own 
inner and spiritual natures, and, by seizing upon the 
vague belief all savage nations had been found to pos- 
sess, of a future state of existence, to lead their minds 
up to the sublime idea of the unity of God. Well did 
the Jesuit understand the language of signs, and by sup- 
plying in this way the defects in the language of the 
Hurons, adding thereto his own understanding of it, the 
Indian warrior was made to gaze up to the broad arch of 
the heavens and almost to adore. For one to have stood 
by and looked on, without comprehending the medium 
of communication, it would have seemed like an ex- 
tended and incomprehensible pantomime. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


157 


Father Daniel then took up the thought, and, by bid- 
ding his dusky audience look upon the cross, he went 
briefly through with the story of the fall of man by his 
own transgressions, and of the plan of his redemption 
and salvation, through the Atonement made by the suf- 
ferings and death of Christ on the cross. 

The children of the forest were affected by the story, 
with wonder only, perhaps, yet they did not believe. 
They had worshiped a god of the thunder, the lightning, 
and the storm. The concussion of steel had the power 
to bring out the god who resided in the flint. The roar 
of the cataract was but the voice of its peculiar deity ; 
and so everything in nature had, to them, its presiding 
divinity. 

The conference ended, the Jesuits willingly followed 
the Indian hunters to their village ; uncertain as to their 
reception, or of their fate, they yet feared no ill, for they 
trusted in the protecting care of Providence. They had 
travelled through a vast primeval wilderness totally un- 
armed, bearing their lives in their hands. When they 
approached the Huron village there was a great throng 
waiting for the return of the hunting party, and by them 
also, were the missionaries kindly received. 

There to the northwest of Lake Simcoe on the banks 
of Lake Manitouline, then called Lake Iroquois, was 
erected the first house of the Society of Jesus among the 
Hurons. Here vespers and matins were chanted as in 
the chapels of the old world ; mass was said, and the 
Hurons were warned of the terrors of everlasting damna- 
tion. Unlike Father Enrico, Breboeuf and Daniel fully 
exemplified in their own lives, the sublime and heroic 


158 THE KING AND THE CROSS 

virtues contained in the system of the Jesuits. Poverty 
they had always with them, and chastity was a virtue, 
the practice of which cost them no effort, so perfectly 
had they subdued the baser passions of man. 

The strictest obedience was observed by them to the 
commands of their superiors. When a mandate came 
from the Pope, through the Governor of their Order, the 
power of the Councils of Rome was felt and obeyed in the 
Huron wilderness. When a native was converted ; the 
story of a pagan abandoning his idols flew, as on the wings 
of the wind, through the dense forests ; down the great 
rivers of the continent; across the trackless sea; and 
over those towers of silence, the mighty Alps, and was 
registered in the books of the Order at Rome. The 
listening ears of the Hurons heard, with all the interest 
of a highly coloured romance, the wonderful story of the 
life and sufferings, the crucifixion and resurrection of the 
Saviour, for the redemption and salvation of man. 

But the stern virtues of these early soldiers of the cross 
were, in some measure, the result of their weakness. 
Often, it is feared, they looked rather to the Governor of 
their Order than to Divine authority for aid and direction. 
Their efforts to spread the doctrines of their Society, and 
to save the souls of the savages, formed but one branch 
of their labours, for they must instil into the minds of the 
natives constant impressions of the greatness and glory 
of the French Crown. It was not enough that they had 
erected the house of worship ; they also raised a cross 
amidst the tall trees of the forest, where white man and 
red man, missionary and pagan, bowed down before it, 
and sang the mysteries of redemption and the glory of 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


159 


the King of heaven. There too was raised aloft a column 
rudely painted with the lilies of the Bourbons. Side 
by side stood the symbol of the Christian faith and the 
emblem of civil power ; for France made her authority 
felt as well by the force of her laws as by the influence of 
her religion. 

The pious work of these Jesuits was scarcely begun 
when they were joined by another equally patient, equally 
enduring; more gentle, more humble, and possessing in 
every respect greater sweetness of temper, and, without 
knowing it, having in high degree the power to please. 
He had been left by the escort which had accompanied 
him to Montreal, to make his way as best he could, 
across an unmeasured wilderness, peopled if at all, only 
by savage barbarians, having no guide but the great river 
Ottawa, which stretched its long arms far towards the 
Huron settlements, sometimes trusting himself in the 
power of the merciless Indian, and sometimes to the 
more treacherous waters; but always led on by his 
unswerving love of the human race ever burning in his 
soul, warming his sympathies and kindling his imagi- 
nation with a glorious and unquenchable light. This 
man was Lalemant.^ 

The three were now to act in unison for the accom- 
plishment of a great and glorious purpose, and a noble 
band were they. Breboeuf was ascetic, solemn, severe 
and fanatical withal, self-denying, performing penances, 

1 Gabriel Lalemant was born in France in i6io, and came of a 
well-known Parisian family, of which several members were 
prominent in the early French missions in Canada. He suffered 
martyrdom at the hands of the Iroquois in March, 1649. 


166 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


mortifying the flesh, and always exhibiting the greatest 
firmness in action. Lalemant had a more softened 
benevolence, a more holy piety, and ever combined with 
his faith, his gentleness, his humility, the most pleasing 
affability of manner. Father Daniel’s character was a 
happy medium between the two, or rather consisted of a 
combination of the more sterling qualities of both. 

“ Our people have lived and grown to be a large 
people,” said Ahatsistari, <‘by worshiping the gods of 
our fathers. We know nothing of the religion you tell us 
of. With us, one god rules the storm, another sends the 
gentle rain, and still another ripens the harvest. One 
sends us good, and another evil ] but you require good 
and ill at the hands of the same God.” 

The Jesuits endeavoured to explain to the chief and his 
people how the Almighty had promised that seed-time 
and harvest should continue to the end of the world, and 
how what seemed to them the works of evil spirits were 
but punishments visited upon them by the hand of a 
merciful and All-wise Creator ; still he would not believe, 
yet he was friendly to them, and did not refuse to 
listen. 

The Jesuits had in an incredibly short space of time 
learned the Huron language, and were as fluent in the 
use of it as the Indians themselves. Some were begin- 
ning to receive their doctrines as they were now taught 
in their own tongue, and some began sneeringly to ask if 
there really were a hell where the damned suffered the 
pains of everlasting fire ! 

Several years had passed away, the Jesuit missionaries 
meanwhile struggling and labouring for the conversion of 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


161 


the Hurons. If one could be said to be more faithful 
and diligent than the others ; more than they to wrestle 
and agonize in prayer for the eternal welfare of the souls 
of men ; more than they to subdue the passions of the 
heart and to mortify the lusts of the flesh, that one was 
Jean de Breboeuf. He was an absolute pattern of every 
religious virtue. The friendship and confidence of 
Ahatsistari, the famous warrior of the Hurons, had been 
won by the Jesuits, and especially was he delighted with 
the society of Breboeuf. Once every day did this severe 
ascetic priest retire by himself to a secluded part of the 
woods ; the quick eye of Ahatsistari did not fail to dis- 
cover that he returned pale and haggard as if his violent 
intercessions had driven the blood from his face, and the 
deepest sorrow had entered his soul. The chief desired 
to know the cause of his thus withdrawing daily from the 
society alike of Christians and Indians, but receiving no 
satisfactory reply, he followed Breboeuf the next time he 
went away by himself, a long distance from the settlement 
into the recess in the forest. 

O what a scene was there for a savage warrior to 
behold, enacted by a Christian missionary ! Alone with 
Nature and with God, as if the shirt of bristling hair and 
the iron girdle he wore about his body were not enough 
to bring his carnal passions under the subjection of the 
spirit, the heroic priest was applying the lash to his naked 
flesh. 

Ahatsistari stole quietly back to the village entirely 
unperceived. Breboeuf observed not long after, that the 
chief seemed unusually thoughtful, and he at once en- 
quired the cause. 


162 THE KINO AND THE CROSS 

“Something rests heavily on my mind,” answered 
Ahatsistari. 

“ Declare to me the cause; conceal nothing from your 
friend,” said the Jesuit. 

The Huron then confessed to the missionary that he 
had followed him when he had, as he supposed, retired 
from the view of all human eyes, and that he had seen 
him in the silence and solitude of the forest, scourging 
himself. 

Breboeuf was far from being displeased with the savage 
for this intrusion upon the privacy of his devotions. He 
thought it a fortunate circumstance. “You know,” said 
he, “that the Hurons are a people of courage.” The 
warrior was gratified with the compliment thus paid to 
his nation. “And you know that the Hurons,” con- 
tinued the priest, “sometimes try the bravery of their 
boys and young warriors by splitting the ears and putting 
rings in the nose, and that he, who had not the fortitude 
to bear the pain without the shrinking of a muscle, would 
be thought unworthy of the chase or of the war-path.” 

Ahatsistari had listened with delight, and smiled assent 
to all the priest said. 

Breboeuf continued, “The white men, too, are men of 
courage. The missionary must be able to combat the 
wickedness of men and the wiles of Satan. He must be 
able to deny himself all the gratifications of the passions, 
and the enjoyments of the senses. Often, too, he must 
suffer pain, and the obligations he has taken upon him- 
self will not allow him to shrink. White men, as well 
as our Indian brothers, need some test of their fortitude.” 

“ But pale face is an old man, and he has been tried 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


163 


before now. Red men only try the courage of their young 
men, and when they are old they never fail to be brave. ’ ’ 

‘‘We are continually at war,” replied Breboeuf, “ and 
our faith must often be put to the proof. We are with- 
out cessation always exposed to the attacks of our never 
tiring enemy the devil, who would fain cheat us of our 
souls when our bodies are worn out and worthless. You 
who bear the mutilations of the knife, can you not en- 
dure a blow, laid on, with an equally good reason by your 
own strong hand ? You that would not fear to attack 
even the bloody Mohawks, would you be afraid to en- 
counter the Evil One ? We, the Jesuit missionaries must 
prove ourselves equal to all these trials.” 

The Christian and the pagan held the above conversa- 
tion in the quiet and seclusion of a shady little nook near 
the village, and when it was finished, the warrior saw the 
priest go about, after the manner of one of the great dis- 
ciples of the Order on the coast of Coromandel, ringing 
his bell, and summoning the Hurons to prayer, or to a 
conference concerning the beauty of the Christian relig- 
ion, or the peculiar mysteries of the Catholic faith. 

These were the means by which the Hurons were made 
to feel the sentiments of piety, and by which they were 
brought to listen with attention, if not with delight, to 
the simple and earnest teachings of these early heralds of 
the cross. 

The great warrior could no longer resist the argu- 
ments and pleadings of Breboeuf. Eustache Ahatsistari ^ 
was baptized and thenceforward was numbered among the 

1 Ahatsistari was an actual personage. A renowned chief of the 
Hurons, and one of the early converts to Christianity. 


164 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


converts to the true faith, becoming the leader of the 
Christian party among the natives. The mysterious 
workings of his own imagination in former years had 
now become plain. 

“Before you came to this country,” said he, “when I 
incurred the greatest perils, and have alone escaped, I 
have said to myself, ‘ some powerful spirit has the guard- 
ianship of my days ; ’ Jesus must have been the good 
Spirit who has watched over me in the hour of trial and 
danger ; he alone can save us and deliver us from all our 
troubles.” Such were the thoughts of the savage as ex- 
pressed by him after he had received the rite of baptism. 

The good seed seemed to be springing up, and fair 
promise was given that it would bear fruit. When a 
crowd of listeners could be gathered together, Breboeuf 
would talk to them of the anger and of the frowns of the 
Almighty against the wicked, and paint with the high 
colouring of an enthusiast, the terrors of hell and purga- 
tory, and the inconceivable anguish of their everlasting 
fires; but Lalemant, more benevolent as well as more 
gentle, delighted rather to describe the love and mercy 
of God ; to set before them life and immortality, telling 
them of the purity and peace, the happiness and holiness 
of heaven; and when, even the pleasant tones of 
Breboeuf s bell could not call the pagans together, they 
would come at the winning voice of Lalemant. 

Missionary stations were multiplying throughout the 
Huron country, and Sainte Marie on the banks of the 
Matchedash, the pleasant water-course or inlet of 
the vast Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, became the 
central position. There at the humble house dedicated 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


165 


to the Virgin, in one year three thousand guests from the 
birch cabins of the red men received a cheerful welcome. 
There alike the Huron and Algonquin, the Chippewas 
and the tribes of the West came as to a festival, and the 
Jesuit Fathers failed not to give them the most glowing 
descriptions of the place of future bliss or of future woe. 
No sufferings or privations could check the ardour of the 
missionaries. If they hungered, to him who hears the 
young ravens when they cry, and without whose notice 
not a sparrow falls to the ground, they looked for bread. 

The Montreal settlement furnished no aid to the dis- 
tant Huron mission. For three years these devoted toil- 
ers received no supplies; their clothes fell from their 
backs, and they were obliged to use in their stead the 
skins of beasts. Twice a year, and sometimes oftener, 
the Jesuits assembled at Sainte Marie from the various in- 
fidel tribes through which they were scattered, and united 
their prayers for the conversion of their red brothers. 
The red men travelled also from the most distant settle- 
ments ; even from the head waters of the Ohio the scat- 
tered Hurons came to hear the prayers, and to kneel be- 
fore the crucifix of the Jesuit Fathers. A great number 
of missionaries of the Society of Jesus had found their 
way to New France, but among them all Breboeuf, Daniel 
and Lalemant stood preeminent for their piety, their per- 
severance, their readiness to lay down their lives, their 
courage, and their patience in enduring cold, hunger and 
thirst, combined with the sublime heroism which enabled 
them to look upon the instruments of torture and death 
without a shudder. 

Great men were they. Though poor and needy in aH 


166 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


that belongs to this world, they were rich in the gifts of 
the grace of God. Not even the Roman Triumvirate em- 
bracing the laureled brows of conquerors, have built for 
themselves a more lasting fame. And still are their names 
to the Catholic missionary as a cloud by day, and the his- 
tory of their deaths as a pillar of fire by night. 

All was doing that could be done to Christianize the 
Hurons ; and had all the aborigines of the country been 
converted, the missionaries would have sighed that there 
were no more souls to be saved, as did an ancient mon- 
arch when there were no more worlds to conquer. The 
Iroquois were hostile to the French as well as to their al- 
lies, the Hurons ; therefore they could hope for no suc- 
cess among them. But far away from their homes in the 
Huron wilderness on the shores of the Niagara, both in 
Canada and what is now known as Western New York, 
dwelt the Neutral Nation,^ allied neither to the French 
nor the English. During the long and bloody wars which 
took place both before and after the exploration of this 
country by the Europeans, between the ferocious Iroquois 
and the other Indian tribes of the continent, they main- 
tained a strict neutrality. They assumed the character of 
peacemakers ; their villages were considered as places of 
refuge ; all who set foot upon their territory were entitled 
to protection, and enemies there met as friends. To them 
the gospel might be preached, and through them reach 

^ Neutrals. — This name was given them because of “ their neu- 
trality in the war between the Hurons and the Iroquois proper. 
The hostile warriors meeting in a Neutral cabin, were forced to 
keep the peace, though once in the open air, the truce was at an 
end." 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


167 


the hearts of the confederates. Could we but gain the 
mastery,*' said Breboeuf, of the shore of Ontario on the 
side nearest the abode of the Iroquois, we could ascend 
the St. Lawrence without danger, and pass free beyond 
Niagara." To this river Breboeuf had extended his mis- 
sion but had retraced his steps, and the enterprise was at- 
tended with no decided results. 

The summer had nearly passed, and the falling leaves 
of autumn betokened the approach of one of their most 
remarkable ceremonies, — “The Festival of the Dead." 
All of the neighbouring tribes had been invited and 
hither they came, some by land following the Indian 
trails through a wilderness impassable to any but the 
wild men of the woods, others by way of the great lakes, 
and as the canoes approached the shore in close order, 
those rude men, the representatives of the red race, and 
the lords of the New World, coming from many inde- 
pendent and distant tribes, leaped upon the earth and 
met those already assembled with shouts and cries of joy 
that resounded among the rocks and hills, reechoing far 
across the waters. 

The natives of the American forest guarded with a 
jealous care the remains of their dead. And it may per- 
haps be doubtful whether, in this respect, they were sur- 
passed by the more civilized white man. 

The log cabin had been erected and immense prepara- 
tions had been made for this important festival. The 
faithful Jesuits were present and looked with wonder and 
curiosity, if not with some degree of admiration upon 
the ceremony. The bones of the departed friends of the 
red men were gathered together, each family reclaiming 


168 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


its own, and regularly placed in neatly wrought coffins 
of bark, wrapped in the choicest furs that could be pro- 
cured, and such as the princes and nobles of the Old 
World might be proud of possessing. 

All night was heard their cries and shouts, the mourn- 
ing song was chanted, and the weeping, wailing women 
gave back a fit response to their barbaric music. The 
rude but not inharmonious chorus rehearsed the various 
virtues of the dead, the chief of which was their unsub- 
dued valour, so highly prized by the old Romans, and 
not less by the natives of the primeval wilderness. It was 
not till the sun began to withdraw the curtains of the 
night, and give its brightness to another day, that the 
shouting and dancing ceased. 

The final act was when the mourners began their 
march to Ossossane, the principal village of the Hurons, 
carrying the bones of the deceased with them. Here 
they were deposited in an immense grave or pit while the 
chiefs extolled the many virtues of the dead warriors. 
Large copper kettles were placed in the sepulchre to- 
gether with the richest skins of the beaver. The grave 
was then filled with earth and the ceremony ended by 
chanting the Farewell to the Dead.^ 

The festival over, the wandering tribes which were 
present at the ceremonial began to disperse. There were 
the Chippewas from the Sault St. Mary. “Come,” 

1 Many of the natives held the belief that the soul took flight 
after the celebration of the “ Feast of the Dead ” was over* 
Others believed that there were two souls, one remaining with the 
remains of the departed, while the other went to the blest abode 
of spirits. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


169 


said they to the missionaries, “ and dwell among us. 
We will embrace you as brothers \ we will derive profit 
from your words.” To this proposal the priests assented, 
and soon a bark canoe freighted with the Indians of that 
tribe and a party of Jesuits left the mission to make the 
perilous journey to the shores of Lake Superior. Others 
were bound on more distant and dangerous expeditions, 
and one there was — Father Jogues ^ — who had been one 
of the first to carry the cross into Michigan wilds, and 
like Breboeuf, Daniel and Lalemant, if he did not seek 
would never strive to avoid the martyr’s death. He had 
been one of those to visit the Chippewas at the Falls of 
St. Mary, preaching the cross, and proclaiming the power 
of the French King on the inhospitable shores of Lake 
Superior. Returning he had marked out for himself the 
long passage by the Ottawa and its tributaries to the St. 
Lawrence, for the purpose of visiting the stations at 
Montreal and Quebec. The great warrior Ahatsistari 
sought the opportunity of visiting these distant points in 
company with Father Jogues, as he would be both able 
and willing to defend him from danger. 

The missionary spirit had seized the converted savage, 
and he determined, for a season at least, to forego the 
pleasures of the chase and the more exciting scenes of 
warfare, to accompany the peaceful herald of good tid- 

1 Isaac Jogues was born in Orleans, France, in 1607. He en- 
tered the Jesuit novitiate at Rouen when seventeen years of age, 
and was ordained in 1636, coming to Canada. He and his com- 
panion, Lalande, were killed by the Mohawks at Caughnawaga, 
New York, in the autumn of 1646. He laboured among th^ 
Hurons, Dinondadies, and Algoncjuins for many years, 


170 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ings to other and distant villages of red men. The toma- 
hawk, with the bow and arrows of the savage would de- 
fend them from the assaults of any lurking foe they 
might meet on their way, while the believing priest, and 
his Indian disciple no less than he, would fix their eyes 
upon the cross, and lift up their thoughts to Him who 
died thereon, seeking his aid and protection in their 
perilous undertaking. 

It was but lately that the chiefs purpose had been de- 
clared, and when the moment of his departure had come, 
he was seen in the embrace of a young and winsome 
Huron woman, who was pleading with all the power of 
the rude but stirring eloquence of her people that he 
would change his purpose. The worthy Father saw the 
struggle that would ensue in the mind of his red brother, 
and he told him that that was one of the many ways in 
which the arch enemy of the human race would seek to 
decoy him away from the path of duty. The warrior 
had beheld the self-inflicted scourging of Breboeuf, and 
had been taught by him that all such trials as the pres- 
ent must be manfully met and bravely overcome. 

But as if to make his apology for yielding to the plead- 
ings of affection sufficient for his justification, or to in- 
crease the glory of a triumph over human feelings and 
human weakness, there came with this Huron woman, 
two young children who looked to her as their mother 
and to the warrior as their father, the tears standing in 
their dark eyes like diamonds in the unfolding light of 
the stars. The courage and steadfastness of Ahatsistari 
however did not fail. He who had withdrawn himself 
from his own people and fasted seven days in the wilder- 


^HE KING AND TEE CBOSS 


l71 


ness that he might, in dreams, behold the guardian spirit 
of his future life, was not easily to be moved. He tore 
himself away from the embrace of wife and children, and 
in a moment more was on his way with Breboeuf. 

Nearly a decade had rolled away since the first Chris- 
tian chapel was raised among the Hurons, and still the 
black robed priests were scattered through their country, 
toiling for the salvation of sinners. No season had passed 
that in some one or more of those villages the tinkling 
bell of Breboeuf had not summoned the Huron chiefs and 
braves, their women and children to the house of prayer. 

The Iroquois like a threatening scourge had hung 
round the outskirts of the Indian villages and the 
French settlements, though no open outbreak had oc- 
curred. A few Frenchmen and a Jesuit priest had been 
taken captive by the Mohawks,^ and some Hurons had 
perished at their hands. A treaty of peace had been 
made between the confederates and the French and for a 
season there was rest, but in a luckless hour the priest 
who had fallen into their power had been wantonly slain 
for the celebration of the death festival. The thirst for 
vengeance was aroused by the scent of blood and the 
Iroquois were upon the war-path. The descendants of the 
Wyandots were to be conquered and scattered through 
the illimitable forests of the New World. 

Destruction fell upon the village of St. Joseph, about 

1 The Mohawks were one of the fiercest and most warlike of the 
Five Nations composing the Iroquois confederacy. The Dutch 
made a treaty with them in i6i8 which proved permanent. The 
English also secured their friendship, but the French joined the 
Canada tribes against them. 


172 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 

fifteen miles from Sainte Marie and well fortified. The 
braves and warriors had however been drawn away by 
the sports of the chase, the old men and women and 
children alone remaining. Only one Jesuit mission- 
ary was there, Father Daniel, but he heard the cry that 
sent terror to the hearts of the Hurons. The attack was 
sudden, and his converts were soon falling before the 
furious onslaught of the Mohawks. To him did the weak 
and helpless fly as if he could, by some incantation, save 
them from impending death, and in the agony of fear 
demanded of him the rite of baptism. 

“Bow down and ask forgiveness of God,” said he, 
addressing them in the Huron tongue in an earnest and 
persuasive manner. Dipping his handkerchief in water 
he sprinkles it upon all who approach, and straightway 
pronounced them to be born of water and of the Spirit. 
He might save his own life. Should he fly ? No true 
Jesuit would leave a convert to die unbaptized. The 
fear of death could not deter him from performing his 
duty, for his vows, as he believed, had been registered in 
heaven. He absolved all those who sought consolation 
in this supreme hour of peril. Their frail works of de- 
fence were forced by the victorious Iroquois, and fire was 
applied to the birch cabins. Father Daniel in this ter- 
rible tumult is undisturbed, and calmly met the shower 
of arrows that are discharged at him. 

“I count it as great glory,” said he, “to die in the 
cause of Christ. The salvation of a single soul would 
be a reward worthy of a lifetime of hardship and of 
suffering.” 

Drawing a little crucifix from his bosom and pressing it 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


173 


to his lips, he uttered expressions of hope and confidence 
for the encouragement of his Huron converts. In a 
clear and solemn voice as they were everywhere falling 
around him, he comforted them with the words and the 
feelings of true inspiration, till covered with wounds, and 
all gashed and bleeding, he at last fell mortally wounded 
under a well-directed gun shot. With the name of Jesus 
on his tongue he yielded up his breath, and his spirit 
passed to Him who gave it. 

Not a year elapsed after these stirring events before the 
village of St. Ignace was attacked, and an indiscriminate 
slaughter followed. The last place of refuge of the de- 
voted missionaries did not escape the ferocity of the Mo- 
hawks. St. Louis, a town about a league distant was as- 
saulted in the early dawn of the day following, the 
women and children fleeing to the woods. This was the 
retreat of the noble Breboeuf, and his colleague Lalemant, 
and the scene of their last labours. 

While the few Huron warriors were making a brave 
defence against a bloodthirsty and relentless foe, Breboeuf 
turned to his companion and said: “We can make 
good our escape but here are those not yet baptized, and 
the old and sick may ask of us absolution. It will be 
nobler to die now than to have lived a thousand lives.” 

“Let death come,” said Lalemant, “with the tortures 
of fire and of mutilation, and I will meet it with joy. 
If we could not endure a little pain here, how could we, 
failing in our duty, bear the pangs of everlasting burn- 
ings.” 

The undaunted priests had spoken in the Huron dia- 
lect, for what they said was intended more for the 


174 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


strengthening of their Indian converts than for them- 
selves, for neither needed to fortify himself with the 
courage of the other. The Iroquois who were now 
around them heard their words and comprehended their 
import. Drunk with blood, the human fiends at once 
began the work of torture. Breboeuf was the first to suf- 
fer ; but while life remained he rebuked his tormentors 
and tried to encourage the poor, despairing captives. 
His lips and nose were mutilated ; hot iron was applied 
to his mouth and even thrust down his throat. After the 
power of speech had failed, his unfading eye, and his 
still tranquil countenance bore witness of his faith to 
friend and foe alike. 

Lalemant was stripped naked, and his skin was pierced 
from head to foot with sharp points of wood or bark 
filled with pitch which were set on fire. To his com- 
panion in his former trials and present sufferings, he said, 
“We are made a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and 
to men.” 

When these heroic priests were enveloped in flame and 
smoke, boiling water was poured on their heads, and 
when the fire had severed the bonds by which their hands 
were confined, they lifted them up as in the attitude of 
prayer, testifying, after the power of utterance was gone, 
their fidelity to the mission they had undertaken, and their 
unswerving faith in a blessed immortality. 

These tried soldiers of the cross knew that sufferings 
undoubtedly awaited them, for they had known of the 
triumphant death of Father Daniel, and they themselves 
expected a no less fate ; yet they were not appalled. As 
the place of fallen heroes, even in the hour of battle, is 


THE KINO AND THE CE0S8 


175 


supplied by others not less brave, so was there never 
wanting heroism and enterprise in behalf of the cross and 
of French dominion. The fallen but unconquered mis* 
sionaries had passed to the world invisible ; their souls 
were with the Lord and they rested from their labours. 

Some years had passed since the Island of Montreal 
had been taken possession of by the Jesuit missionaries 
and the converted Hurons. Enrico had still remained 
there exercising such a powerful influence that he was 
almost the spiritual lord and despot of the place. The 
establishments of the Society of Jesus had been kept up, 
but the heart of Jogues was pained when he saw the 
spirit which founded the mission had in great measure 
departed, leaving apparently only the letter of the 
Catholic faith. 

The life of Jogues had been a more sublimated and 
spiritualized existence than that of Enrico. Away from 
the scenes of trade, its corrupt and corrupting influences 
had no power over him. If he satisfled the demands of 
appetite from the products of the field or the fruits of 
the chase, his soul breathed out in thanksgiving for the 
kindly care of Providence. If he felt the pangs of hun- 
ger, he sought relief by prayer from the same unfailing 
source. 

True, upon this island which had been consecrated by 
the erection of the cross, and for the protection of which 
supplication had been made to the Queen of Angels, 
there were taught the doctrines and maintained the wor- 
ship of the Roman Catholic Church. But the spirit of 
trade and traffic dominated the hearts of the people. 
Here at that day was the great centre of the American 


176 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


fur trade. The muse of History even at that early 
period heard the hum of business, and now awakens our 
interest by giving the treasures of her memory to those 
whose existence was then hid, far in the unfathomable 
abyss of the future. 


CHAPTER XII 



ET us go back to the departure of Father Jogues 


' with Ahatsistari from the Huron mission. Through 
thicket and tangled wood, in the deep shadows of the 
forest and the brightness of the open, they made their 
way to the head waters of the Ottawa. The Indian had 
been a redoubted war chief, and though he had been 
converted to Christianity, he thought it prudent, and so 
the priest advised him, to be prepared to act on the de- 
fensive in case they should be attacked by an enemy on 
their route. Their journey was one of more than three 
hundred leagues, and they knew not whom they might 
meet on the way, consequently it was agreed that the 
chief should carry his hatchet and tomahawk, and that 
Father Jogues should bear the crucifix and the pipe of 


peace. 


Their perilous march had nothing to distinguish it from 
any other through those immense forests, except that its 
dangers and sufferings were enhanced by the approach 
of winter, and many times in fording the small streams 
which they were obliged to cross before reaching the 
great artery of communication with the West, the Ottawa, 


THE KINO AND THE CEOSS 


177 


they were so benumbed with cold as to be almost ready 
to sink down and die. But the savage had been schooled 
to endurance, and the muscles of the early missionaries 
rarely gave way but with the yielding up of life itself. 
On they went, crucifix and tomahawk in hand, and after 
weeks of laborious travel by land and water, suffering 
also the pains of hunger, they reached their destination, 
the Island of Montreal. 

Then might have been seen in earnest conversation 
over a large pile of furs, Charles, Pierre and Barnabe. 
The severe weather of a northern winter was fast ap- 
proaching, and preparation must be made to withstand 
its intense vigour, not only for themselves but for the 
health and lives of the settlers. 

These furs,” said Charles, ^^if they can be sent to 
Quebec before the winter sets in, will procure a full sup- 
ply of blankets and other necessary articles for the whole 
colony, else we must bestir ourselves for another hunting 
tour ; by so doing we can increase our supply and use 
them for clothing instead.” 

Never mind the blankets,” responded the irrepress- 
ible Pierre, “ we can make use of the skins, and if Father 
Enrico will not establish a mission among the beavers we 
will continue our war upon them when we shall have no 
lack of furs. Our compatriots, the French, will shortly 
war with the savages whom they do not, or cannot con- 
vert to Christianity; and what better are the beavers 
than they ? ” 

“And if we do get the articles we so sorely need,” 
interrupted Barnabe, “ the more beaver skins the better. 
Only think of the gold they will bring us, if we do not 


178 


TSE KING AND THE CROSS 


wish for merchandise in return, or, if we have more of 
them than will be required for the purposes of barter. 
Think too, if we wear these fine furs ourselves we can 
have a richer dress than Monsieur Servien, himself, ever 
possessed in the days of his greatest wealth. If we can- 
not make the Indians acknowledge our religion and the 
government of our King, we can at least make the beavers 
feel the power of our hands.” 

The two priests, Enrico and Jogues had been present 
at this semi-satirical conversation, and it would have 
been easy for an attentive observer to have discovered 
how different may be the characters of two persons, in- 
structed in the same religion, professing the same faith, 
and bound by the same obligations to the performance 
of similar duties. The spiritual life of Enrico seemed to 
have been wasted, while the religious sensibilities and af- 
fections of Jogues had been sharpened by the privations 
and dangers he had been called upon to encounter. 
Withal, he was ‘‘one of the purest examples of Roman 
Catholic virtue which this Western Continent has seen.” 
Enrico, on the other hand, not only seemed to be worldly 
but did not appear to be troubled with any religious 
scruples. 

The sharp eye of Barnabe was the first to see the ap- 
proach from a distance of any hunting party, and his 
long ears were the first to catch any ominous sound that 
might denote danger to the settlement. As was his daily 
custom he had ascended to the place of lookout from 
the trading house, and from the unusual length of time 
he remained there it was supposed that some new object 
had met his eye. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


179 


‘^What do you see, Barnabe?” called Pierre from 
below. 

'*0 I see something big and white coming up the 
river. Monstre horrid! what a sight!” shouted out 
the grandiloquent Barnabe. 

Looks it like a bird, un oiseau ? ” asked the curious 
Pierre. 

^‘I cannot make out what it is,” came back the an- 
swer, it looks like a bird, and then it doesn’t look much 
like one. Mon Dieu ! it may be the Great Manitou 
hanging up his blanket to dry.” 

^‘Better he should do that,” said Pierre, ‘Uhan let it 
fall on the island. Far better to run the risk of catching 
cold than be smothered with such a covering.” 

“Ave Maria!” exclaimed the nonchalant Barnabe, 

and if it be the Indian God, he’s coming with some- 
thing before his eyes like a great veil, that he may pounce 
upon us before we know it.” 

‘<May be,” added Father Jogues, ^‘the Great Spirit 
is< sending a fearful cloud upon you for your sins.” 

<^To be smothered by a wet blanket,” said the credu- 
lous Pierre; ‘Uhe light of the sun shut from us; all our 
fires put out, and that too before we have a chance to 
run; why we might as well be drowned in the river.” 

Should it be what we fear,” Barnabe replied, 
<< you had better gather all together under the great cross, 
which may for a time uphold the sheet of Manitou, and 
if die we must, die at the foot of it like good Catholics.” 

Enrico knew too well the power of superstition to op- 
pose anything to what was said, and when Pierre looked 
in his face as if for direction he appeared serious and even 


180 


THE KING AND THE CE0S8 


solemn. “We must look to the cross and trust in an 
overruling Providence,” said he. “ Poor miserable sin- 
ners that we are, who shall be angry with the God of 
Christians, if he should send the evil spirit of the Indians 
to overwhelm and cover us with shame.” 

Pierre was not one who believed in faith without 
works, and having never cultivated that noble sentiment 
within himself, he must perforce depend upon works in 
any sudden emergency to save him from the wrath of the 
Almighty. He had heard of the coming of the Son of 
man, and of the terrors of the day of judgment when 
God should veil his face from the wicked. His fears 
were so much excited that he took the present wonderful 
sight beheld by Barnabfe, as well as the admonitions of 
the two priests in the most literal sense, and hastening to 
the great cross, he threw his arms about it with all the 
zeal of one whose sudden conversion was the result of 
fear, and not of conviction. 

Barnabe still remained in the place of lookout, indulg- 
ing in the broadest grins his quizzical features were 
capable of expressing at the ludicrous appearance of 
Pierre. 

“What is it you see? ” demanded Enrico of Barnabfe. 

“I see, I see,” said he, “a great vessel coming up the 
river in the eye of the wind as if /e Diable himself had 
hold of the oar.” 

“What sayest thou, that a ship is coming and that the 
devil is propelling it with oars ? ’ ’ called out Charles, 
half in sport and half in anger. 

“ Who makes it go, if it be not the old brimstone king, 
I don’t know ; but it is coming one way and that too 


THE KING AND THE GROSS 


181 


against the current, while the wind blows the other,” 
persisted Barnabe. 

Charles now thought he heard something in the tone 
and manner of Barnabfe, to indicate that he was not al- 
together jesting in what he had said, consequently he as- 
cended to the post of observation for the purpose of sat- 
isfying himself, and surely there was within sight, and 
only about two miles distant, a vessel of unusual size for 
those waters, fast approaching with all her canvas spread. 
It was coming too, apparently in the face of the wind, as 
Barnabe had asserted, though this was not really the 
case. The river after passing the town sweeps round in 
a large curve and becomes very rapid. The vessel was 
slowly but steadily nearing port, but her course was at a 
great angle with the wind. Rapidly did the news of her 
approach spread over that portion of the island, and 
nearly the whole population of what is now Montreal, 
gathered together and came down to the water’s edge to 
await her arrival. When she drew near to her moorings, 
loud and oft repeated greetings passed between the ship 
and those on the shore. 

In that vessel there came a highly important accession to 
the infant colony at Montreal. Upwards of sixty women 
had arrived ; some in the pride of beauty and youthful 
ambition ; others whose stern virtues had resisted, or 
failed to secure the promises of early love ; and having 
survived the charms of ripened womanhood, now con- 
cluded to trust their lives and better their fortunes in the 
New World. The ship was safely anchored a short dis- 
tance out in the stream, small boats were sent out to her, 
and slowly, but with evident signs of emotion, the women 


182 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


disembarked. With faces beaming joyously they were 
brought to land, and gladly did each one stoop to kiss 
the ground she had so long and so ardently hoped to 
reach. 

When all had safely come ashore, they were formally 
received by the Frenchmen dwelling there. Surrounded 
by a curious throng of painted savages they were con- 
ducted by Father Enrico to the great cross in front of 
the chapel ; there, lifting up to heaven their hearts and 
hands in token of gratitude and thankfulness for their 
safe preservation from the dangers of the deep, the Te 
Deum was chanted by a chorus of full and glad voices, 
and the same day mass was said in the chapel by the 
Jesuit Fathers. 

Upon the naked earth which formed the floor of this 
rude house of worship was kneeling one who had in- 
tended her countenance should be fully veiled from view. 
But as she turned her face upward, while her heart was 
overflowing with thoughts and feelings which had been 
warmed into life by a love almost divine, the veil had 
fallen aside, half disclosing a contour of entrancing grace 
and beauty. Her eyes were cast down, but her face was 
radiant with the light of love and truth. Hers is a 
humble lot, and her heart is as pure as her life has been 
simple. Yet something in her demeanour forbade any 
pne to look profanely on her, for none knew her save the 
companions of her voyage across the ocean. 

iThe ceremonies of the day were ended; what wonder 
is it that those who had so long been separated from 
their own kindred, and nation, should look with curious 
eyes upon this newly arrived group? Even Father En- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


183 


rico, who had on his own voyage hither, in obedience to 
the severity of his religious discipline, avoided the sight 
of a woman’s face, fearing that thus the snares of beauty 
would be wound around his heart to the prejudice of the 
great object of his mission, could not help directing an 
enquiring gaze towards the fairer portion of the assem- 
blage decked out in all their bravery, conspicuous among 
them had been in his eye, she of the veiled face. 

Curiosity was sharpened by an evident effort at conceal- 
ment. The first opportunity that presented itself was im- 
proved. He saw, her face, and it was not unfamiliar to him. 
He thought he had seen it before ; but his recollection was 
at first rather at fault, though memory, like a faithful 
chronicler paraded before him a long catalogue of the 
friends he had left behind him in the land of his birth. 
It rolled backward for him the mysterious curtain of 
time, as he stood again, in fancy, in the streets of busy, 
Paris. Again he saw the massive, time-stained towers of 
Notre Dame ; now he looked with delight at the fairy 
like and wondrously delicate architecture of Sainte Cha- 
pelle; anon at the stately church and tower of Saint 
Jacques, or the splendid seignorial palaces of the great 
nobles with their facades beautified by the sculptor’s 
magic touch. 

He passed rapidly over every familiar spot. The as- 
semblages of fashion, where the richness of the garments, 
the luxury of womanly adornments, harmonized most 
charmingly with the elegances of the artistic surround- 
ings ; the circles of conviviality in the magnificent man- 
sions which were the admiration of the Parisians ; even 
the haunts of gilded vice were not forgotten. His sub- 


184 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


urban walks away from the narrow streets of the crowded 
city, arose to his mind. He passed the Convent of Dix 
Vertus, and hard by the gate he saw the same form that 
he beheld in the rude chapel in a strange land. 

The revery of his fancy was instantly dissolved and 
the Sister Pauline, the daughter of the merchant miser, 
the love of his youthful days, stood before him. The 
recognition was mutual, but not accompanied on the 
part of Pauline by any manifest signs of pleasure. Enrico 
had supposed she had devoted herself to the perpetual 
seclusion of a religious life, while on her part she had 
known nothing of her former lover since the day of their 
separation, which was soon followed by the death of her 
father. She had accomplished the full period of her 
novitiate at the convent. Her character was thought by 
the Prioress one of the highest worth, but Pauline how- 
ever refused to bind herself to a life of absolute with- 
drawal from the world by the more solemn mysteries of 
the black veil. Still she remained at the convent, occa- 
sionally going abroad on errands of mercy and benevo- 
lence. With her it was ‘^not all of life to live” ; she 
delighted in doing good. 

After leaving the convent permanently, she gathered up 
her patrimony and embarked for the New World in order 
to spend her days in scenes of more extended usefulness. 
She had heard of the fame and admired the character 
of the Duchesse d’ Aiguillon and Marie de V Incarnation, 
who were engaged in a similar field of labour ; and she 
was ambitious to emulate their example. Such is the 
history given of her by one of the early Jesuits. 

Here, as in all new colonies, the number of men 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


185 


greatly exceeded the feminine portion of the community. 
The arrival of this vessel with a large proportion of 
women was therefore regarded as a fortunate circum- 
stance, and was hailed with universal delight. Single 
men sought among them companions for life. Many 
were the hunters and traders who, now, for the first time 
in years, had the opportunity presented to them of form- 
ing those domestic relations without which their lives 
could not be happy. But as these maidens had been 
encouraged to come to this new land for political con- 
siderations, so the disposition which was made of them, 
or which they made of themselves, partook rather of the 
nature of a mercantile transaction, than of an affair of 
love. It was also somewhat more public than such matters 
are in a higher state of civilization. 

^‘Come,” said the master of the vessel, in a jocular 
tone, and select wives for yourselves. Here are some 
large, some small, some fair, some fat, some meagre ; but 
all are young and handsome. Come and choose for 
yourselves ; for here is every variety, and the most fas- 
tidious can be suited to his taste.” 

This appeal to the gallantry of those whose long 
absence from the circles of polished and highly civilized 
society, had made many of them rude and uncouth in 
their manners, was readily responded to, and in a few 
days nearly the whole number had entered into matrimo- 
nial relations. It is true there was some coquetry among 
the fair sex, and some jealousy excited among the men, 
yet it is believed that no equal number of marriages ever 
took place in any community which were attended with 
so little deception and flattery, or with more happy results. 


186 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Of all the actors in this story Pierre and Christie alone 
remained apparently untouched by the tender passion. 
Even Father Enrico was not unaffected by the sentiment 
of love, for the recollections of his old time interviews 
with Pauline came back upon him like a rushing stream. 
It was the ebbing of a strong tide, and he was unable to 
resist it. His attachment to the object of his earlier 
affections seemed to be pure and inspiring, like the clear 
waters bubbling up from a living fountain. Like another 
Abelard, he still retained his love for her, though he did 
not care to overcome the obligations of poverty and 
obedience imposed upon him by the strict rules of his 
Order. 

But Pauline, unlike Eloise, would not listen to the 
voice she had once so blindly heard, and to which she 
had afterwards turned a deaf ear. The restraints she 
was under were those of no religious community to which 
she was attached, but rather were the results of a system 
of discipline and self-denial she had voluntarily imposed 
upon herself. Her conscience was the monitor to which 
she listened, and that was keenly alive to the calls of 
duty, of truth and of right doing. 

Since the first recognition, Pauline had studiously 
avoided meeting Enrico, while he as constantly sought 
to put himself in her way. At length he was successful 
and forgetful of his vows, he besought her to remember the 
hopes they had formerly cherished towards each other. 

‘‘The vigour of our youth is wasted,” said he, “and 
it may be that something of the enthusiasm, and more of 
the manly beauty I then possessed has passed away ; but 
love is in its nature^ immortal. Its light may be dark- 


THE Kim AND THE CROSS 


187 


ened or concealed for a season, but it will again appear 
with a purer and more divine brightness.” 

“True, love cannot die,” replied Pauline, “but it 
may at one period of life be directed towards a different 
object from that which first called it into action.” 

“ Thou dost not then love another? ” asked Enrico. 

“ I do not,” she responded. “ No other man hath in- 
spired me with the sentiment of love. ’ ’ 

“ Thou art then unchanged and thy love is still mine? ” 
continued Enrico. 

“Nay; I love nothing mortal, nothing beneath the 
skies,” answered Pauline. 

“Hast then become enamoured of an angel?” 
asked he. 

“My heart,” said this high-minded woman, turning 
away her face as if she felt her modesty was offended, 
“has long since been dedicated to heaven; and my life 
is now to be devoted to works of benevolence and charity. 
I could not, if I would, be guilty of bringing so great a 
sin upon my soul.” 

Pauline would have rebuked Enrico for his own rash- 
ness and wickedness in thus seeming inclined to disregard 
his own vows as well as the obligations of the faith he 
had so long professed. But the gentleness of her nature 
and the kindness of her heart forbade that she should 
give any further pain than her own justification might 
produce. Enrico remembered the forceful traits of her 
character, and he knew that importunity was useless. 
He therefore made the best retreat he could under the 
circumstances, begging the pardon of Pauline for his 
rashness, and calling on the Holy Virgin and the saints 


188 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS 


to forgive him for the sin he had meditated in his heart. 

On the evening of that day the newcomers and the 
residents of the settlement, traders, hunters and priests, 
Parisians and Hurons, joined in chanting vespers at the 
little chapel. 


CHAPTER XIII 


N the next morning, scarcely had the matin bell 



ceased to call its echoes from the silence around, 
before all the dwellers there, Christian and pagan alike, 
were summoned to mass. See the dark throng wending 
its way to that low building surmounted with the cross. 
Near by, before a small tent, see an interested group of 
whites, watching, but not sympathizing with, the stream 
of church goers. Belonging to an infant colony of 
Puritan New England, they had been surprised on a 
hunting expedition by a band of Mohawks, but making 
their escape from them had fled to the Hurons for pro- 
tection. 

Among them was a handsome boy about ten years old, 
Cedric by name, who, from his sprightliness and youthful 
adaptability, had become quite fluent in the language of 
the Iroquois, nor did he seem altogether unhappy in his 
captivity. By his side stood a man past middle age who 
appeared lost in thought, and as he looked upon the lad 
it was easy to see they did not bear the relation of father 
and son. Yet the old man, who rejoiced in the cognomen 
of Stand-fast-on-high Shirley, gazed kindly upon the boy 
and tears stood in his eye. He was doubtless a parent 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


189 


and had been rudely torn from wife and children. God 
preserve him, and return him to the family circle that has 
been sundered and made desolate by his absence,” said 
Father Jogues, as he looked upon him and saw with the 
quickness of intuition the inward workings of his stifled 
emotions. 

A Huron chief who had been converted to the Catho- 
lic faith, and who claimed to be the master of the cap- 
tive, laid his hand heavily upon the shoulder of the white 
man, and pointed to the chapel to which all were hasten- 
ing. 

No,” said Shirley, I cannot worship where my heart 
is not.” 

Can’t you give thanks to God that Him deliver you 
from the power of the Mohawks? ” asked the chief. 

I can do that in some other place as well ; here un- 
der the open sky can I bless Him for our deliverance, and 
pray to Him to be taken from the Hurons also,” responded 
Shirley. 

Kiss cross ! ” said the Indian, holding up a crucifix 
before him. But he refused. In him was the stern blood 
of the Puritans, and he would not bend to forms of wor- 
ship. 

*^Sign of cross make ! ” said the Huron, at the same 
time suiting the action to the word, he crossed his own 
forehead in order to make himself more clearly under- 
stood. But he who had belonged to that sect who had 
laid aside the sign of the cross in baptism, could not be 
prevailed upon to obey such a command even from one 
who held in his hand the power of liberty, perhaps of 
life. The chief with flashing eyes seized him by the hand 


190 


TSE KINO AND TBE CBOSS 


and tried to force him to make the holy sign, but the cap- 
tive wrested it away from the grasp of the savage, declar- 
ing he had no fellowship with the works of Satan. 

“ You bad man,” said the Indian, “ you no love God ; 
you bad as the devil,” and so the Huron was compelled 
to yield, leaving the Puritan to himself and his thoughts. 

A new expedition was now planned at the head of 
which was that remarkable man. Father Jogues. Al- 
though the Iroquois had hitherto been in full command 
of the passes between Quebec and Upper Canada, 
Jogues resolved to attempt an exploration to the foot of 
Lake Ontario, near the spot where was afterwards built 
Fort Frontenac, in the hope of establishing a mission 
among the natives that dwelt in the vicinity. With him 
were associated the warrior, Ahatsistari, and several other 
converted Hurons. Jogues had seen and pitied the con- 
dition of the captive boy, and as Cedric had become 
somewhat familiar with the language of the Iroquois, into 
whose country they were going, he obtained permission 
from the Huron chief, his master, to accompany him 
partly as a guide and partly as an interpreter between the 
Iroquois and the French, for he also knew something of 
the latter language. 

Merely as a guide the Puritan would have been pre- 
ferred to the lad, but on account of his mature age his 
organs of speech had become too inflexible to acquire the 
Indian dialect, and he was able only to converse in the 
tongue of his fathers. Though not connected by the ties 
of blood, there was a bond of brotherhood between him 
and Cedric, created by the common sufferings of their 
captivity, which was not easily to be broken. 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


191 


** My boy,” said he almost in the tone of softened sor- 
row with which a father would address a stricken child, 
you must not leave me, for you so remind me of the 
boy of my heart from whom I was so suddenly snatched 
away. Perhaps he too may be carried off, and the tears 
of his mother may now be falling alike for the loss of both 
husband and son. ‘Whither thou goest, I will go; 
where thou lodgest, I will lodge.’ ” 

“Uncle,” said the boy, a term which was much used 
in that early day both by white men and the Iroquois 
towards those who were their superiors in age or wisdom, 
“ I will not go. We will remain together, and watch for 
some chance of escape.” 

“ That we will,” rejoined Shirley, grasping the hand 
of Cedric warmly. “We can be of mutual service to 
each other. You by your quickness and activity com- 
bined with your knowledge of the Indian dialect, can 
watch the operations of our captors, while I, by my coun- 
sel, can aid you in any difficulty into which you may fall. 
We will be friends forever, and if you die in captivity, 
so I will die.” 

Everything was in readiness, and the expedition was 
prepared to set out. A fleet of several canoes was on the 
point of pushing off from shore, when the boy was per- 
emptorily ordered to embark by his Huron master. 
Cedric, however, did not immediately comply with the 
command but pointed to the Puritan, and partly by lan- 
guage and partly by signs, informed the chief of his re- 
solve not to be separated from his fellow captive. Where 
power was wanting, resistance was vain and Cedric was 
compelled to do as he was bidden. 


192 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Shirley then begged to share with them all the un- 
known dangers that might confront them on their journey, 
and even attempted to force his way on board one of the 
canoes. But here again strength was on the side of the 
Hurons. The good Father Jogues endeavoured to inter- 
cede on his behalf, but the savages were impatient and 
would not listen to his advice. All the others had em- 
barked and the canoes were well under way. The eye of 
Shirley followed the boy and he could not endure the 
thought of separation. True, there were other prisoners 
who would be left behind, but the affection of the Puri- 
tan for the youth was stronger than them all. 

The last boat was fast receding from the land, when 
Shirley remembering his pledge to the boy resolved to ful- 
fill it or perish in the venture. The distance between him 
and the last canoe was short, but it was gradually wid- 
ening. With one look at Cedric and then at the canoe 
he waved his hand and leaped into the water. Rapidly, 
and with a strong arm he swims towards the boat — he al- 
most reaches it — his hand is now upon it ; but his pur- 
pose is not gained. He is beaten off by the savages with 
a heavy blow from a paddle, and a long stroke of the 
oarsmen sends the canoe beyond his reach. 

The last fervent words of Shirley to the boy still rung 
in Cedric’s ears like a trumpet blast, and he was deeply 
moved as he saw that his friend must make for the shore 
or sink in the waves. 

Where thou diest, I will die,” shouted the youth, and 
leaping from the frail bark was in a moment beyond the 
reach of the Hurons and fast making his way towards his 
sinking companion. The motion of the oars was instantly 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


193 


reversed, and the canoes started in pursuit of the rec- 
reant boy. He will be overtaken ; he cannot escape but 
by drowning. They gain upon him, but the old Puritan 
is holding up his arms to embrace him, even upon the 
rough surface of the water. 

Let us sink and perish together, rather than live and 
be slaves ! ’ ’ said Shirley, as the boy at that moment came 
within reach of him. In danger though they were, both 
from drowning, and from the anger of the Indians at their 
rash act, and exhausted by their violent exertions, they 
met in such an ardent embrace that both would have sunk 
together, had not one of the canoes at that critical junc- 
ture come so near them that one of the Hurons was able 
to grasp the arm of the boy. He endeavoured to pull him 
into the boat, but the hold of Shirley was like a death 
grasp and the two could not be separated. The strength 
of another Indian was brought to bear upon the task, but 
as there was danger of upsetting the canoe it could not 
be effected. 

We will both live together or perish,” exclaimed the 
boy, and the old man, with the true spirit of the Puritan, 
said ^‘Amen.” 

Father Jogues who had before remained silent, think- 
ing it prudent to leave this difficulty to be settled by 
his red brothers, here interposed. “Let us take both 
the old man and the boy,” said he; “they may be of 
service to us should we encounter any of the Iroquois, as 
they know something about their habits and language 
from having been prisoners among them.” 

The Hurons looked wistfully at each other as in doubt 
how this proposition ought to be received, but a word 


194 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


from the warrior, Ahatsistari, resolved their doubts. He 
had become too strongly attached to the priest to oppose 
his wishes, and when he had spoken, the minds of all 
seemed to be agreed. But it was not till they had been 
towed back to shore, that they could be taken on board. 
This done, both Shirley and Cedric were now seated in 
the same boat with the kindly Jesuit, and once more the 
journey was resumed. 

<‘God be praised,” said the Puritan, that we have 
been so mercifully preserved through this trial ! Our 
success may yet prove our ruin, but we must trust in our 
Heavenly Father and pray to him to deliver us from all 
the dangers into which we may fall.” 

“ We are all poor sinners,” said Jogues in reply to this 
remark, “ and we must look to the cross of Christ as our 
only refuge in time of need.” 

“ To Christ and his gospel,” answered Shirley, inter- 
rupting him, almost shuddering that the priest had re- 
ferred to the symbol of Christianity, and not to the 
doctrine itself! have no faith in signs, and I cannot 
worship that in which I do not believe.” 

“We only use the sign of the cross, or the cross itself,” 
replied the patient Father, “as the emblem of our faith 
in him who was crucified, and by pointing the sinner to 
it as the visible sign of his belief in the Saviour, while he 
is exhorted to turn his thoughts to the sufferings of the 
crucified One, and the atonement thereby made for the 
sins of the world.” 

“If the mind is first fixed upon material things,” re- 
joined the Puritan, “ it cannot easily be turned to spirit- 
ual thoughts. If we say that Christ died for the salvation 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


195 


of the world, we give utterance to a great moral truth, 
which strikes with power upon the mind and upon the 
heart. But show him a cross whether made of silver or 
gold, of brass or of wood, and he will comprehend the 
existence of the symbol, without feeling within him the 
interpretation of its meaning. O, if you would only raise 
the thought at once to God as the Creator and preserver 
of all, and to Christ as the Saviour of men, without the 
use, of what to me, are senseless forms, how much more 
glorious and sublime would be your faith in the power of 
his Word. But if the soul must be fed with a view of 
material things in order the better to comprehend spirit- 
ual existences, let man look at the inhabitants of the 
earth, the ocean and the air; yea, and at the mighty 
waters and grand forests that overspread the globe, and 
then, if he is not full of wonder, let him lift his eyes to 
the countless and all glorious stars, set like so many dia- 
monds in the magnificent dome of the sky ! The mean- 
est artificer can make an image, but who can bring a 
tree out of the ground ? As for myself, I care no more 
for a cross than I do for a crown.” 

<<And maybe,” said Father Jogues, <‘you disregard 
the authority of our lawful sovereign the King. Next to 
the reverence due the cross, I regard the honour of the 
crown.” 

I would that we had to acknowledge no King, but 
the King of heaven,” said the Puritan, ‘‘and no crown 
is worth the wearing, save the crown of glory that shall 
be the reward of the righteous in another world.” 

“God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of 
Christ/’ replied the priest, “but without the patronage 


196 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


and power of the King, the gospel could not be preached 
in foreign lands, and the pagans would live and die 
without the knowledge of God. It seems to be a part 
of the great plan of the Almighty, that the rulers of na- 
tions should be raised up by him, and be favourably dis- 
posed to the spread of the gospel.” 

‘‘And therefore you would establish the doctrine of 
the divine right of Kings,” rejoined Shirley. “As for 
myself, I believe no man is better than another ; no man 
has by nature, a right to rule over his fellow -men ; but 
all are born slaves to the lust of power.” 

“The civil and the ecclesiastical authority go hand in 
hand,” said Jogues; “neither could, in this wild coun- 
try, subsist without the other. Not a mission could be 
established without the protecting care of the crown, and 
without the establishment of missions, the standard of 
French dominion would never have been raised in many 
portions of this new land.” 

The controversy was here interrupted by the Huron, 
Ahatsistari. “ See that canoe in the far distance,” 
said he; “may be a band of Mohawks are coming,” 
and he pointed to a distant object resting like a dark 
speck upon the waters in the very direction they were 
taking. 

All eyes were turned towards the unknown obstacle, 
but they kept on their way, determined not to falter even 
at the approach of an enemy. 

“It may be a party of the Iroquois coming down the 
river to find a market for the skins they have taken in the 
chase,” said Shirley. “I should not like to meet with 
any of my old captors ; but God is my witness that I 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


197 


will not turn aside from the path of duty, even to save 
myself from falling again into their hands.” 

“ How is it you speak of being in the path of duty, 
after the violent opposition you have shown to our relig- 
ion?” inquired the reverend Father. “This is an ex- 
pedition mainly for the purpose of extending the Catholic 
Faith.” 

Shirley answered, “ My duty consists in an obligation 
now resting upon me, and is not for any of the purposes 
that influence you ; I have promised to be the companion 
and protector of Cedric, this boy, who may not at all times 
be able to protect himself.” 

They had now approached so near to the object of 
their suspicions as to ascertain its true character, which 
proved to be only the bushy top of a tree that had been 
felled into the stream, and was floating down with the 
current. 

The little fleet kept on its course uneventfully through 
the day, but their progress was slow as the canoes were 
heavily loaded, and the force of the current to be over- 
come was very strong. The Puritan and the boy looked 
watchfully at each other as if anxious to determine 
whether any fearful apprehensions were resting on the 
minds of either. They had no fear of present danger, 
but when they thought of what might be their future 
destiny, the habitual brightness of their countenances 
was overspread by a cloud. Sometimes Shirley would 
hear something from the priest that would call out from 
him a word of rebuke, when the system of the Roman 
Catholic Church would pass in review, and the worthy 
Father, though he was always fully able to give a reason 


198 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


for the faith that was in him, yet felt himself happy if 
his own reasoning powers, or the doctrines of that church 
to which he adhered, and whose head he professed to 
obey, did not suffer by the encounter. 

The priest was the spiritual guide of the expe- 
dition, and to the Huron warrior, Ahatsistari, was en- 
trusted the more difficult and important duty of taking 
the necessary precautions against being surprised by an 
enemy. 

“Must keep sharp eye for Iroquois,” said the chief. 
“When they come, come like hungry wolves.” 

“ Aye ! I know something of the habits of those var- 
mints,” said the Puritan. “When once on a trail they 
will follow it like blood-hounds. I have boasted of some 
skill in my day in avoiding the pursuit of wily savages. 
With my gun in hand, I never feared anything from the 
fiercest beast of the woods ; and under the providence of 
God I always escaped. But these bloody Iroquois have 
proved too much for me. Now I would rather under- 
take, with a small Bible in my pocket to resist the Evil 
One himself, than with a dozen guns to protect myself 
against a Mohawk.” 

“I know Iroquois,” said Ahatsistari, “me had some 
fight with him ; he smell Frenchman two league. Indian 
got long nose.” 

“ And long eye too,” spoke up the boy. “ What they 
can’t smell, they can see, for they can look through the 
thickest forests in all the colonies.” 

“ We must set them on the wrong track,” said Jogues, 
“ and if they smell us, we’ll make their legs ache before 
they find us,” 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


199 


Trust Huron for that,” said the chief. Iroquois 
never take Ahatsistari. He leave no tracks behind.” 

The day was drawing to a close, and as it would not 
be prudent to continue their course by night on account 
of the danger of occasional rocks and rapids, and some- 
times drift-wood brought down by the current, to say 
nothing of the fatigue to the rowers, or of the peril to be 
apprehended from hidden foes, it was thought to be time 
to select some convenient place where they might land 
and encamp for the night. They had reached a point 
where the channel was broad, and the whole force of the 
current having been turned upon one side by a great 
bend that was there made in the river, the deep water 
extended quite to the margin, and had here and there 
scooped out the earth from under the green banks. A 
rich border of willows, ash and maples, bent over and 
dropped their limbs quite down to the surface of the 
stream. 

On reaching this spot, they could see that the banks 
were fringed by a thick growth of trees and bushes for a 
great distance. It was therefore proposed by the Huron 
chief, that he and such of the rest of the crew as 
were well armed should immediately go ashore leaving 
a sufficient number of men to manage the canoes, and 
taking a wide sweep around from the bank of the river, 
leaving a distinct trail behind them, should meet the 
boats at the distance of a mile above. 

The proposition of the chief was received with favour 
and at once put into execution. The party separated 
and met as agreed ; the Huron and his companions im- 
mediately embarked, and the canoes ciuietly dropped 


200 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


down with the current, keeping close in to the shore. 
The river was here so broad that they were in no danger 
of discovery from the opposite side. They returned 
about half-way to the point where the Huron had dis- 
embarked, when they halted at a shady, sequestered nook, 
and quickly hauling all the boats close under the thick 
boughs of the overarching trees they were securely fast- 
ened and entirely concealed from view. 

Leave no tracks in water,” said the chief. “Iroquois 
no find us here,” and the low gutteral sounds he uttered 
were expressive of his own opinion of the sagacity he 
had manifested. 

It could not be denied that the plan of the warrior was 
ingenious, and worthy of one who would rival their bit- 
ter foes in the arts of strategy ; for should a hostile party 
approach the place by land, whichever way they might 
come, they would be most likely to discover the trail and 
would follow it until it led to the river, when they would 
readily determine that the party had again taken to the 
water, but would be entirely at fault as to whether the 
party had gone up or down the stream, or crossed to the 
other side. Besides, those members of the expedition 
who had made the circuit about the place of encamp- 
ment had not found the trail of any hostile Indians, and 
were therefore right in presuming that none had lately 
passed that way. 

“Must set watch; guard against surprise,” said the 
Huron, as the party began their evening meal of dried 
fish and venison. 

“We must pray to the Holy Virgin and all the saints 
to preserve us from the dangers of the night,” said 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


201 


Father Jogues, laying his hand reverently upon the cruci- 
fix. 

“ O when will ye have done with such worship ! ” ex- 
claimed the irate Puritan, with a look of astonishment 
and almost of horror. “If we must have any of the 
forms that belong to your church, let us have the Pater 
Noster. I can join with all the world in saying, < Our 
Father who art in Heaven,' but your Ave Marias cannot 
inspire the sentiment of piety within me.” 

“Let every man act according to the gifts of the 
Spirit,” said the priest calmly and quietly; yielding all 
that could be asked by Shirley ; and there, under the 
leafy canopy they had chosen for their shelter. Catholic 
and Protestant, French and Huron, the pioneer of the 
cross and the savage neophyte knelt down, one to offer 
up his supplications for divine protection in the freedom 
and purity of a heart at peace with the world, abounding 
in the fullness of faith and the love of Christ ; the other 
telling the mystic beads, but each and all acting according 
to the light and the teachings of conscience within him. 

'Tis a beautiful August night, and no fire is needed for 
warmth or light, as it might point out to any lurking foe 
the place of their encampment. The watch is set, and 
missionary and warrior, the wild savage and the Chris- 
tian captives lie down in security. The elements are 
still ; and no enemy disturbs them. When morning 
throws in upon them the first streams of daylight, they are 
up and immediately prepare to go on their way. They 
partake of a frugal meal, the canoes are pulled out from 
their hiding-places, the motley crews step on board, and 
again they push out into the stream. 


t 


202 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


**Go on little boat,” said Father Jogues, bearing the 
standard of the cross to the savage pagans j and whether 
I am borne through in safety, or plunged into danger, I 
will glory in the cross of Christ even unto death.” 

Even the Puritan was touched with the self-devotion 
of the good Father, and already began to feel that he 
was to him almost as a brother, although differing so 
widely in religious belief. 

They had scarcely proceeded more than two or three 
miles on their course, when they came to a spot where the 
current of the river as it swept around a point, had 
formed a deposit of sand, leaving the only channel 
through which a boat could pass so near to one side of the 
stream as to be within a bow-shot from the shore. The 
sun had not yet lifted his head above the horizon, but 
the bright blushes of the early morn gave such a softened, 
mellowed appearance to the sky, as to create within the 
mind of civilized man a deeper love for the beauties of 
Nature, and totally to disarm him of enmity against his 
fellow, lulling into security any suspicion of treachery 
that might otherwise have possessed him. 

The eyes of Ahatsistari were very keen, and generally 
open for the detection of an ambush before he could be 
drawn into it, but on this occasion he was listening to a 
homily from Shirley on the goodness of God in cloth- 
ing the earth with verdure and beauty, when, with a 
whizzing sound, an arrow aimed from the high bank 
above them, passed over their heads and struck in an- 
other canoe which happened to be a little further out in 
the stream. 

**yVQ are entrapped!” exclaimed the Puritan hur- 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 203 ^ 

riedly, and with apparent agitation. ** God have mercy 
on us ! " 

We must watch as well as pray,” said the mission- 
ary; for the wily serpents may be down upon us in a 
body, and before we are aware, we may all be captured 
and reserved for torture and death.” 

Two stalwart Indians in their war paint now appeared 
on the bank with threatening gestures, which were under- 
stood to be an invitation for the boats to come to, and, 
in case of refusal, a threat of dire injury. 

“Huron no fear Iroquois,” said the warrior, and rais- 
ing his musket levelled it towards one of the Indians, 
but fortunately it missed fire and no harm was done. 
This act was however sufficient to arouse a number of 
other savages, who instantly rose to their feet, and stood 
upon the rocks with the rest. 

“There are but three canoes,” said Ahatsistari, as he 
pointed to that number of the primitive vessels of the 
American aborigine. “ There is nothing to fear.” 

Scarcely were the words spoken before the fearful war- 
whoop was uttered by the Iroquois. It is a cry that pro- 
duces in the minds of those who hear it, whether they 
comprehend its meaning or not, a sensation of the most 
thrilling agony. Like a barbed arrow it pierced the 
hearts of that little company, some of whom never en- 
tirely recovered from the sensation of terror they then 
experienced. The feeling was afterwards most vividly 
described by the Puritan. He felt as if his swelling 
heart was compressed into a point and wrung out of his 
body, while his flesh seemed to be struggling to escape 
from the bones. The Hurons, no less than himself, felt 


204 


THE KING AND THE CBOSB 


the power of that terrible shriek, for they knew that to 
some, it would prove the knell of death. The savage 
warrior never raises this cry unless conscious of the 
superiority of his force over that of his foe. 

There rose up at this cry a dark band of fierce braves, 
so numerous that every tree seemed to stand forth an 
armed man, and a shower of arrows was let fly at the 
boats ; their sides were pierced ; some of the men were 
wounded, and one or two killed. The French and 
Hurons fled in confusion, and running their canoes ashore 
endeavoured to conceal themselves in the thick woods. 
There the Hurons might hope in some measure to stand 
on equal ground with the Mohawks, while the French 
would be more secure than in the boats. 

Cedric was so struck with terror that he was powerless 
to make an effort to escape, and the Puritan true to 
his vow, would not quit him in this moment of peril for 
the sake even of saving his own life. ^‘The will of the 
Lord be done,” said he, as he bent down and tried to 
comfort the terrified boy. 

Ahatsistari had escaped, and Father Jogues might have 
succeeded also, but there were some newly converted 
Indians in the expedition who had not been baptized, 
and should they fall before receiving the rite, they would, 
as he believed, go down to everlasting burnings. It had 
ever been his boast, that he would lay down his life for 
the salvation of a soul ; and should he falter now in the 
time of greatest need? Should he do so, he felt that 
his own soul would be crimsoned with the blood of sin- 
ners whom his faithfulness might have saved. In a mo- 
ment of weakness he had almost yielded to the natural 


THE KING AND T^E CB08S 


205 


impulse of fear, and the human instinct of self-preserva- 
tion, when his good angel whispered to him of the glory 
of the martyr’s crown, and he firmly and nobly held 
back while the death-dealing arrows were falling thickly 
around him. 

Bending low to the surface of the water he dipped his 
hand in the clear element j hastily sprinkling it upon the 
faces of the neophytes j making to such as were within 
his reach the sign of the cross, and bidding the others to 
do likewise, he pronounced the solemn words that con- 
cluded the sacrament. As he stood for a moment with 
crucifix uplifted, and his eyes raised to heaven, one of 
the converts was struck to the heart by an arrow from 
the bow of a powerful Mohawk. The little band were 
soon overpowered, but the brave priest felt that he had 
achieved a conquest over sin and saved a soul from 
death. In his momentary triumph he fancied he could 
almost hear the rushing of an angel’s wing as he folded 
that soul to his sweet embrace, and flew with it to the 
abodes of the blest. 

All resistance on the part of the French and the Hu- 
rons was at an end. Father Jogues was spared for the 
sake of the glittering cross he held uplifted, the Mohawks 
thinking it some great medicine ; but he, as well as Cedric, 
the Puritan, and a few others were retained as prisoners. 

The Huron chief had gained a place of safety, but as 
he looked out from his retreat and saw his faithful friend 
the good old Father Jogues in the hands of his inveter- 
ate foes, he came boldly forth from his covert and stood 
in all the nobleness of his savage nature, by the side of 
his captive companion. 


206 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS 


CHAPTER XIV 


HE first care of the Mohawks after they had secured 



^ their prisoners, was to possess themselves of the 
property belonging to the conquered party, and they 
were particularly struck with the beauty of the golden 
crucifix worn by Jogues. Their great war chief Fire- 
heart, was at the head of his band of braves, and ac- 
customed as he was to the warfare of his time, familiar 
with acts of cruelty and scenes of blood, he was pos- 
sessed of all the terrible ferocity of his people. His 
fierce passions however were lulled, his curiosity having 
been excited by the appearance of the Jesuit Father. He 
had fixed his eyes upon the crucifix as a beautiful object 
with which to adorn himself. The priest saw that the 
redoubted warrior coveted the treasure, and being him- 
self unwilling to part with it except in case of the stern- 
est necessity, he contrived by an ingenious device to 
keep it in his own possession. He well knew the belief 
of the savages in charms, and that anything curious or 
wonderful was considered a great medicine. 

The native medicine man boasts of his power over the 
elements, and of his ability to cure divers diseases. 
According to himself, he can call down rain from the 
clouds ; he can foretell a drought ; and control the light- 
ning itself. He can draw the fish into the nets, when 
otherwise the arts of the fisherman would be vain ; he 
can so bewilder the beaver that he is easily caught, and 
can crown with success the efforts of the chase. Finally, 


THE KINO AND THE CliOSS 


207 


he can direct the arrows of the little love-god, as well as 
the less sure shafts of the hunter. 

‘‘Be this great medicine?” asked Fire-heart, as he 
held the crucifix in his hand carefully inspecting and 
admiring its exquisite workmanship. “ Can it cure sick 
man? ” 

“ He that believes on this,” replied the worthy Father, 
“ shall never die.” 

The chief looked at the speaker with an expression of 
the greatest wonder, and again fixing his eyes on the 
mysterious emblem, running his fingers over every portion 
of it, and admiring more than ever the glitter of the gold. 
Jogues knew that the Indian did not understand the 
figurative language he had used, and that he was entirely 
ignorant of that life which is by faith in the cross of 
Christ ; but he justified himself by the metaphorical words 
he had used. 

“ Can him cure sick ? ” again interrogated the Mohawk. 
“ Can him heal the bruises and the wounds of our ene- 
mies the Hurons ? ” 

“He that believes on this, though he were dead, yet 
shall he live,” responded the priest, once more using the 
language of metaphor, at the same time inwardly praying 
to the Virgin and the saints that he might not be put to 
the trial of his faith and his power by his captors the 
Mohawks. 

The wonder of the chief increasing at every new 
declaration of the marvellous power of the cross, he 
asked the Father if it could bring back the dead from their 
graves. 

“It cannot,” said Jogues, “make its influence and 


208 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


might felt in the happy hunting grounds of Paradise. 
That would interfere with the government of the Great 
Spirit. When the red man is buried, his flesh falls from 
his bones and mingles with the dust, and his spirit goes 
to those blessed and beautiful fields where it is clothed 
with another and more glorious body, over which neither 
disease nor death hath any power. It is only when our 
frail tenement is weighed down by its wickedness and 
seems to be dead, and would perish but for the restoring 
power of faith in the cross, that it may be brought to life 
and healed.” 

Fire-heart did not comprehend the mysterious virtues 
which the priest ascribed to the sacred symbol, and 
Jogues did not care that he should then be any further 
instructed. It was necessary for him that superstition 
should have its work in order to secure his own safety. 
Paganism and idolatry must exist before the purer pre- 
cepts of Christianity, and fanaticism will have its day of 
life before the birth of an intelligent and rational faith. 
The chief signified by his motions that he wished the 
cord from which the crucifix was suspended from the 
neck of Father Jogues disengaged, that the coveted 
treasure might be suspended from his own. The 
ingenuity of its owner was again called into requisition 
to meet this new demand, for it was plain that the 
warrior wished to be endowed by this talisman with the 
power of healing the mortal ailments of such of his braves 
as might be wounded in battle. 

^‘Its power will die,” said Jogues, ^Mf it should be 
separated from me. I have from my youth been taught 
its mysteries, and it is I that alone can bring out its hid- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


209 


den strength. Away from me it will be as worthless as 
a broken stick, and its brightness will fade as the early 
dew of the morning. But if you will,” said he to the 
chief, << take it, and you will see the truth of my words.” 

The savage began to remove it from the priest’s neck ; 
but suddenly stayed his hand, and bade him retain it in 
his own keeping. 

Father Jogues thought this act of the Mohawk was not 
without a deep motive. He conjectured, and rightly 
too, that Fire-heart intended to wait for some opportunity 
to test, in the hands of the missionary, the virtues he 
himself had attributed to the symbol. Already he began 
to fear that a plan would be concerted by the wily savage 
to prove the falsity of his words, and he momentarily 
regretted not having at once parted with the crucifix 
without making any boast of its virtues. There seemed 
however to be no immediate danger, as the attention of 
the chief was soon called to other matters. 

While Fire-heart was the recognized leader of this war- 
like band of Mohawks, there was another among them, 
who from the ferocity of his disposition, and his exploits 
in battle, was known by the name of Wild Cat. Those 
who had so distinguished themselves were the braves of 
the nation. Fire-heart was in earnest conversation with 
his brother chief, and the priest imagined that the 
prisoners were the subject of it. But there were others 
of the pale race not less interested than Father Jogues in 
the disposition and temper of the Mohawks ; the captive 
boy and the Puritan. The old man was sitting as if in 
pious resignation to whatever might befall him, but Cedric, 
though courageous for one of his years, was less exercised 


210 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


by religious feeling, and consequently more alive to what 
was taking place. 

From the little knowledge he had gained of the 
language of the Iroquois, he soon discovered that Wild 
Cat was resolved to take summary vengeance on the help- 
less captives. It was proposed to keep the priest, that, 
with his crucifix, he might act as a medicine man to the 
tribe on their return to their own country, but the firm 
old Puritan was to be immediately put to the torture, 
while the other prisoners should be made to grace the 
Death Festival at the council fire. 

Fire-heart was for milder measures. He counselled for 
the more humane and liberal policy of retaining all the 
captives, and adopting them into his nation,^ but the 
thirst of the more ferocious ones for blood had been so 
aroused that they were not easily satisfied. Wild Cat was 
particularly clamorous for the sacrifice. The dispute was 
finally compromised by the promise on the part of their 
leader, that when they should reach the principal village of 
the Mohawks, the prisoners should all be made to run the 
gauntlet, and the young braves should be amused by a 
barbaric festival in honour of their success. 

Shirley before now had been placed in trying situations 
where he had been obliged to contemplate the prospect 
of a sudden and violent death; but the wing of the 
Destroying Angel had passed by, and he was, as at this 
present, reserved for further trials. 

^ Most of the Indian tribes practiced a system of adopting into 
their nation many of their prisoners of war. “ It was by this means, 
and this alone, that they could offset the losses of their incessant 
wars.” 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


211 


When the determination was made known the boy 
laughed outright, dancing for very joy that his life was 
to be preserved, for but a moment before he thought 
himself and his friend destined to meet death by the 
slow agonies of torture and of fire. The good old Puri- 
tan however had seen too much of life not to know that 
such sudden exultation was not always justified by future 
events; and he interfered to moderate somewhat the 
manifestations of Cedric’s boyish delight. 

It may be that the stern doctrines of morality held and 
followed by the sect to which Shirley belonged, had filled 
his mind with the idea that dancing was a device of 
the devil, no matter by what feeling it was produced ; 
whether for amusement simply, or as expressive of joy at 
some unexpected event ; in any case he regarded it as in 
the highest degree sinful. If any one had gazed upon 
him at that moment, they might have beheld the clasped 
hands, and the moving, though voiceless lips, as if his 
soul was breathing out thanksgiving and prayer ; while 
Father Jogues pressed to his heart the blessed crucifix, 
hastily turning over the leaves of his breviary which he 
always carried about his person, and which he regarded 
with almost as much reverence as the cross itself. 

The captives were now made to embark on board their 
own canoes, and the Indians followed, compelling them 
to labour at the oar, their course being directed to the 
site now occupied by Kingston, Ontario. All day they 
toiled almost unceasingly, and it was late in the night be- 
fore the place was reached, when the prisoners were al- 
lowed to land and snatch a few hours repose. In the 
early hours of the morning they again took to their boats, 


212 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


and set out for the mouth of the Oswego river on the op- 
posite shore, by coasting around the eastern end of Lake 
Ontario, as they did not dare to venture crossing its 
broad waters higher up. Two days elapsed before they 
reached the Oswego, where they rested one night at a 
small village inhabited by one of the Five Nations. 

The prisoners here expected to be subjected to the 
ordeal of the gauntlet, but the settlement being a small 
one they were reserved for greater triumphs. The white 
boy as he realized that they were coming into the coun- 
try of the Mohawks where they would probably be sub- 
jected to the most severe treatment, suggested to his 
companions a plan of escape. 

“Let us steal away silently,” said he, “when all are 
asleep, and take the canoes and try to make our way 
back to Montreal.” 

“We are in the hands of God,” said the Puritan, 
“let us submit to his will.” 

“Look upon the cross,” spoke the priest, “ trusting in 
him who died thereon to deliver us in the hour of need, 
and we may yet convert some of these savage pagans. I 
should glory to die in preaching the gospel, and even if 
I lose my life the souls of some of these savages may be 
saved.” 

Cedric was not convinced by the words of Shirley and 
Father Jogues, but he heeded the wise counsel of the 
Huron chief, Ahatsistari, who told him that if they at- 
tempted to escape and should be retaken, they would 
surely be tortured and put to death. The plan was 
therefore abandoned. The next morning their journey 
was continued by following up the Oswego, till they 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


213 


reached the clear waters of Oneida Lake, on the farther 
side of which they encamped for the night. 

As the company left the tranquil, mirrowed waters of 
the lake and began to descend into the valley of the 
Mohawk, their thoughts were full of the preparations for 
the exciting sport that had been promised the young 
braves. Messengers had been sent in advance to an- 
nounce to the tribe that they were approaching. The 
waters of the Oneida were soon left behind them, the 
trail slowly winding down the valley beside a small 
stream which is a tributary of the Mohawk. Fire-heart 
with a few chosen warriors taking the lead ; the captives 
following next, while Wild Cat and the rest of the Indians 
were bringing up the rear. In this way they marched 
along until within half a mile of one of their principal 
towns, when they saw in the distance a swarm of savages, 
young and old, coming out to meet them. 

With a most uncouth display of barbarous ornaments 
the warriors of the party looked, to the poor captives, 
even more ferocious than their conquerors. One had a 
kind of bonnet or head-dress made of the quills of the 
bald eagle ; another a necklace of the claws and teeth of 
the bear; some were armed with spears pointed with 
flint, or with sharpened pieces of bone; others with 
weapons of various kinds made of wood, while many 
bore the heavy war club which was adapted by its shape 
for dealing a deadly blow. 

To the captives this was a strange and startling throng, 
and they greatly feared their reception would be some- 
thing more to be dreaded than a mere pageant or show 
of triumph. Added to their grotesque appearance was 


214 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the strange discord of the singular rattle, made by put- 
ting the hoofs of the deer in the inside of a dried turtle 
shell. ^ Then there was the rude drum, made by stretch- 
ing the skin of the deer over a hoop, or over the bark of 
some tree, giving to it the shape of the more modern in- 
strument. Above all the varied sounds, rose in fearful 
distinctness and with many voices, the yell of the rejoic- 
ing warriors. 

It was in the month of August, and the evening before 
the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin, just one year 
after the time when the same sacred ceremony was cele- 
brated by the Jesuits in the presence of the converted 
Hurons on the island of Montreal. The motley crowd 
who had come out to receive the conquering party, had 
halted on meeting, and uniting with them were retracing 
their steps, redoubling as they went the clamour of their 
strange, weird music. When they came within sight of 
their principal village, they saw the warriors and young 
braves who had remained behind, and the squaws and 
children of the tribe gathered together in a great throng 
to receive them, and while preparations for the gauntlet * 
were going on, the heroic Jogues thought of the holy 
festival which he would have kept on the succeeding day 
had he been among his own people, and comforted him- 
self as a preparation for the trying ordeal with a vision 
of the glory of the Queen of Heaven. 


1 Rattles of this description continued to be used to a late period 
among the Senecas. 

2 Running the gauntlet was inflicted by most of the Indian tribes 
upon their unhappy prisoners. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


215 


The courage of all seemed to be equal to their ap- 
proaching trial. While Jogues looked with the reverence 
of his order upon the cross as the sacred symbol of his 
faith; and the converted Huron chief, rather from the 
force of his savage courage and early training, than from 
the teachings of his newly received religion, saw with 
apparent indifference the painful prospect before him, the 
staunch and grim Puritan stood by, with all the dignity 
and sublimity of a Christian martyr and the captive boy, 
little influenced perhaps by any of these considerations, 
was sustained in the hour of trial by the noble example 
of his fellows. 

Everything was soon in readiness displaying to the 
view of the captives two long lines of warriors, young 
braves, and women and children, armed with sticks, 
knives, arrows, spears, clubs and other weapons, what- 
ever in short, the hand could reach. At the farther end 
of the lines stood a small tree from which the bark had 
been stripped, and the naked wood stained with blood ; 
this was the crimson goal which must be gained by each 
of the prisoners amidst a shower of blows from the hands 
of those eager savages, each dealing upon them as many 
severe strokes as they were able to bestow. To falter in 
their flight would be dangerous in the highest degree ; to 
turn back would be death, for the lines would rapidly 
close up after each one. 

The Puritan was the first to try the race and encoun- 
ter the thrusts and blows of the savages. He was a man 
of small stature, his whole appearance denoting much 
timidity. The Mohawks expected to see him falter, and 
perhaps to give way under the tempest of deadly blo\ys 


216 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


that would be poured upon him, but he was a man who 
had been through life inured to much hardship, and his 
muscles were hardened and fitted no less for sudden and 
violent exertions, than for patient and long continued en- 
durance. 

Bowing down his head as if gathering up his energies 
for a mighty effort, and dropping his arms naturally by 
his side, so as by their motion to give him the greatest 
possible assistance in maintaining at each successive step 
the equilibrium of the body, he applied himself to the 
struggle, and so swift was his motion that those at the first 
end of the lines were hardly quick enough to give him a 
single stroke ; while those stretching far along to the cen- 
tre and to the farther end who had looked for an exhibi- 
tion of weakness and cowardice, were astonished at his 
nimbleness, and either aimed a light and harmless blow, 
or entirely let fall the instruments that were intended to 
inflict severe bodily injury. A low murmur ran through 
the crowd which seemed to say to the captives that the 
Puritan had escaped too easily, and that the rest might ex- 
pect a bitter trial. 

‘‘ White man run swift,” said Fire-heart, and Indian 
lose his sport. Red man must be quicker with his 
blows.” 

Hit him next time,” said Wild Cat, as he raised his 
heavy stick and balanced it in his hand, with the evident 
determination that the next one should feel the full weight 
of it. 

‘‘Try your strength on this boy,” said Fire-heart, ad- 
dressing himself to his brother chief, as he brought for- 
ward the young captive. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


217 


The boy though by no means feeble or wanting in 
courage looked pale from the strong mental excitement 
of the occasion. He had seen how his staunch friend 
Shirley, by his resolution had escaped unhurt, and al- 
most without a bruise ; and he determined to imitate his 
example. Cedric took a start a rod or two back from the 
lines, with a view of gaining a rapid motion before he 
should enter the files. Wild Cat was almost the first one 
to be passed, and as he had so much vaunted his prowess 
and his desire for vengeance, the lad feared he would at 
once be felled by a blow. He however set out with bold- 
ness, and all eyes were turned upon the chief to see how 
he would manifest his boasted ferocity upon a helpless 
and inoffensive youth ; but as the boy reached him he 
let fall his uplifted stick as if he scorned to injure one 
who was not his equal either in years or in strength, and 
Cedric bounded on through the lines, reaching the 
tree unharmed ; the other Indians following the example 
of their leader, and leaving him untouched. The next 
one in the race it was conjectured would fare very hardly. 

^Ht is well,’’ said Fire-heart, as the heroic and patient 
Jogues was brought forward, ^Hhat the boy escaped so 
lightly, but here is one who has come into our hunting 
grounds to overthrow the worship of the Great Spirit, and 
to set up strange gods, bringing curious images and pic- 
tures which he asks us to kneel down and worship.” 

Wild Cat did not need this remark from Fire-heart to 
put him on his guard against the priest. It was not how- 
ever his intention, as it rarely was of any of the Iroquois, 
to mortally wound those who were exposed to this cruel 
trial, but they did not hesitate to give them many most 


218 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


severe blows in order to try their courage, and woe be to 
him who should falter or show an unmanly fear. The 
worthy Father turned and addressed himself to the Huron 
captives, especially to the warrior Ahatsistari, and the 
neophytes whom he had converted and baptized, exhort- 
ing them to remember that they were now called upon to 
endure the first affliction for the gospel of Christ, and ask- 
ing them to bear it manfully, that they might thereafter 
be able to testify of the faith they had received, and 
thereby bring others, even their enemies to repentance. 
The Hurons did not need this admonition, for the stern 
pride of the savage warrior was not forgotten \ they could 
not distinguish between the sublime courage of the Chris- 
tian soldier, and the patient stoicism of the barbarian. 

Although everything was ready, a short time was al- 
lowed to the Jesuit, the attention of the savages being 
taken up by the peculiarities of his manner, so that the 
delay did not cause them to become impatient. Having 
finished what he had to say to the Hurons, he knelt a 
moment upon the ground as if in prayer ; again drawing 
forth the mysterious crucifix from his bosom, and making 
the sign of the cross upon his forehead, he caused the 
savages to suppose he was working some charm by which 
to protect himself from harm. And so, in sooth, he was ; 
for the Mohawks were so intent in watching all his mo- 
tions, that they well nigh forgot they were standing with 
weapons in their hands to give him a blow as he passed. 

Seizing the favourable moment, and once more raising 
the sacred symbol so as to attract the attention of all, he 
turned round for an instant or two all the while looking 
up to it, and when he thought their attention had been 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


219 


sufficiently drawn away, he started suddenly and rushed 
forward with such great speed that he even passed Wild 
Cat without receiving more than a slight brush from his 
heavy stick; but as he sped on he got many a hard 
blow, and before the middle of the lines was reached was 
nearly brought to the ground. He however saved him- 
self, by falling only upon one knee ; again recovering, he 
pushed forward with renewed activity, and with his 
clothes nearly torn from his body and his face streaming 
with gore, he reached the bloody tree, and henceforth 
was safe. 

“And now,” said Fire-heart, “ comes Ahatsistari, the 
great warrior of the Hurons.” 

The Mohawks cherished their ancient and almost hered- 
itary enmity towards the Hurons, and they were the more 
ready to chastise their famous chief, because he had as- 
sociated himself with a party of pale faces, Christians too, 
who, not satisfied with erecting the standard of the cross, 
must also set up the symbols of French rule in their na- 
tive forests. 

With the full force of these feelings operating against 
him, Ahatsistari burst away like a bounding roe from 
those who would have obstructed his course, but dared 
not. His red skin was made redder by the copious 
streams of blood which his wounds and bruises caused to 
flow. He however attained the goal safely. In like 
manner, and with nearly like results all the rest were 
compelled to follow. 

At every village through which they wended their 
painful way these torments were repeated till the powers 
of nature had well nigh been exhausted ; the captives 


220 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


were abandoned day and night to the gnawing pains of 
hunger and thirst. Most of the Hurons were claimed as 
converts by Father Jogues, but some of them had not re- 
ceived the rite of baptism, and the good priest, far from 
being unhappy in his imprisonment, gloried in the op- 
portunity of suffering for the cause of the Master. 

<< You that have been baptized,” said he, ‘‘may die a 
martyr’s death, and enter into the realms of the Great 
Spirit.” 

The last of the neophytes hung round him as if anx- 
ious to hear his words as all had seen the preparations 
which were going on for a terrible festival which would 
end in the death of some, or all of them. 

“O for a drop of water,” said the reverend Father, 
“by which to administer to the rest of this little flock 
the rite of baptism. That being done, you may wait pa- 
tiently for an entrance through the gates of death into 
Paradise.” 

Father Jogues had scarcely given utterance to these 
words, ere Wild Cat in mockery of the pangs of hunger, 
cast to him an ear of green corn, and lo ! there hung 
upon the half open husks a few drops of glittering dew. 

“God be praised,” said the priest, “for this mark of 
his mercy, for with these drops baptism may be extended 
to all who need its saving power. O brighter than the 
crystal smile of the diamond, and precious as the tears 
from angel’s eyes, are these pure drops, for even they 
came down from heaven.” 

As he said these words, the dusky neophytes eagerly 
pressed around him ; touching his finger to the liquid 
drops they served for the administration of the holy sac- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 221 

lament, the sign of the cross was then made, in token, 
as he believed, that a soul was fitted for heaven. As 
one by one these natives of the woods were added to the 
number of those who might hope to be saved, the dew- 
drops flew away like vanishing tears. 

While these things were going on the Mohawks had 
kindled a large fire, and it was evident from their shout- 
ing and dancing that they were preparing for a human 
sacrifice. The stake had been planted, and the faggots 
were blazing high, but who of that miserable band of 
Christian captives should be the martyrs ? 

The Mohawk braves headed by Wild Cat and Fire- 
heart, for even the ferocity of his character now began to 
appear, approached, and singled out the warrior Ahatsis- 
tari, and two other Huron braves, as the most powerful 
among their tribe. Having received absolution from 
Father Jogues, they were ready to meet the flames with 
the stoical indifference of savages, but at the same time 
with the dignity of Christians. A feast was prepared of 
which the victims were to partake before they submitted 
to torture. This ceremony was called the Festival of 
Death. 

^^My brothers,” said the undaunted Ahatsistari, 
am going to die; make merry around me with good 
heart : I fear neither death nor their torments. ’ ’ 

When the feast was ended the captives were conducted 
to the Cabin of Blood ; their hands were bound, and 
they were made to dance around the place chanting their 
own death song. It was one of those calm and quiet 
evenings when all nature seemed hushed ; and the fires 
were burning fiercely, casting their ruddy glow far into 


^22 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


the dark recesses of the forest when the torture began. 
The usual torments of savages were practiced upon them, 
the Mohawks meanwhile dancing around the fire yelling 
like fiends incarnate, every moment inflicting the most 
painful injuries upon the naked bodies of their foes, ever 
and anon singing a wild chant, the burden of which was, 
the unconquerable energies of the Mohawks, and their 
triumphs over their mortal enemies. After enduring for 
hours with unshaken fortitude a series of indescribable tor- 
ments, the wretched victims, gashed, bruised and burned, 
were thrown into the fire where their pains and their 
lives alike were ended. 


CHAPTER XV 


HE dreadful revels were continued until deep into 



the night ; when the bright morning dawned, the 
smouldering fires and the half consumed bones of the 
martyred Hurons were among the awful memorials of the 
cruelty of the Mohawks. But there were still the Puri- 
tan, the boy, Cedric, and the few Hurons who were the 
followers and the friends of the black robed priest. 
Jogues himself was as full of unflinching zeal and cour- 
age as if death in fearful guise had not been placed be- 
fore his eyes. 

“We must endure unto the end,” said he, “and 
there will be laid up for us a crown of glory hereafter. I 
should count it as great gain to die in the cause of 
Christ. If we cannot set up the authority and the stand- 
ard of the King, we can do what is of far more impor- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


223 


tance, labour for the conversion of these merciless savages. 
The value of a single soul is more than the wealth of the 
world ; to have been the instrument of converting a sin- 
ner will be a higher honour than to have conquered an 
empire. ’ ’ 

Jogues was one of those men who are wholly ignorant 
of the feeling of fear ; whatever he did was in the face of 
all who chose to observe his actions. He even sought 
the presence of the bloodthirsty savages to perform his 
devotions, in the hope that they might see something 
which would touch a responsive chord in their hardened 
natures, and, that seeing, some might be converted to 
the Faith. But there was one with him, a captive novice, 
who thought to do good by stealth ; while making se- 
cretly, as he supposed, the sign of the cross upon the 
brows of some Mohawk children, he was discovered by 
one of the braves and instantly brought before the chiefs. 

He will destroy the village by his charms,” said Fire- 
heart; “ we must worship no God but the Great Spirit in 
these woods. He has provided us with hunting grounds 
and with an abundance of game. He has given us the 
rivers, and even the great lakes, and has stored them 
with fish. Why should we adore any other God ? ’ ’ 

With one voice the Mohawks demanded the blood of 
the offender. His hour had come, for death was the 
only atonement that would satisfy their anger. While he 
was repeating with Father Jogues the rosary of the Vir- 
gin, a blow from the tomahawk laid him dead at his feet. 
The priest thought within himself that he might be re- 
served for the same fate, or that he might be made the 
subject of the same horrible orgie by which the Huron 


224 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


warriors had perished. He was however spared for the 
present, for what purpose he knew not, and strange to 
say he was allowed to roam about at will among the vil- 
lages of the Mohawks. Sometimes he would retire alone 
to a secluded place in the immense forests that bordered 
the river to hold communion with himself and his God. 

Once he climbed to the top of a loftly hill, and there 
upon a majestic tree he carved a long cross, and, in imi- 
tation of his Saviour gave himself up to meditation ; he 
rejoiced in the belief, that although he was a prisoner, he 
was the first missionary among the Iroquois, and one of 
the few who adored the true God of earth and heaven. 
Sometimes he would wander through the leafy forest 
writing the name of Jesus, and carving the cross on the 
bark of trees, putting below it the arms and the emblem 
of France ; then, alone as he was, with a loud and 
solemn voice taking possession of the country in the 
name of his God and his king. Thus was the banner 
and the faith of France first brought into the valley of 
the Mohawk. 

The hounds of war had been fully awakened, and here 
it was that the thirst for blood was so thoroughly aroused 
among the Iroquois as to lead to that sanguinary war 
which ended in the defeat and destruction of the Hurons. 
It was customary among them to propitiate by acts of 
cruelty, and even by human sacrifices, the evil demon of 
war. Such a scene was once presented to the view of 
Father Jogues, and the victim was an Algonquin woman, 
who met death by the slow and awful torture of fire. 
While her body was roasting the Mohawks exclaimed in 
a kind of chant which was continually repeated : 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 225 

“ Areskoui, to thee we burn this victim ; feast on her flesh 
and grant us new victories ! ” When life was extinct, a 
repast was made and her flesh eaten as a religious rited 

At this feast were assembled many from the other 
tribes composing the confederacy of the Five Nations. 
There were the Onondagas, the Oneidas, the Cayugas 
and the Senecas. The confederacy was not then in a 
state of actual hostility, there having been up to that 
period, only some small skirmishes like that in which the 
party of Father Jogues had been taken ; but this festival 
was regarded as a preparation for war. At all assem- 
blages which were peaceful in their character, the Indian 
women and young girls are sure to be present. And so 
it was now. There were the wives and mothers of the 
braves of the several nations, as well as many younger 
women. 

Among these latter was a bright appearing maiden 
standing near the fire, and looking with commiseration 
upon the dying agonies of one of her own sex, whose 
death it was supposed, would appease the anger of the 
war gods. This young creature had scarcely seen six- 
teen summers, yet she was fast approaching womanhood. 
With an eye like the gazelle, and a step elastic as the 
roe, she was the pride and the flower of the Seneca na- 
tion, and bore the beautiful appellation of Ah-i-wee-o, 
the soul of harmonies, and was the prized daughter of 

1 Indian cannibalism existed not only among the Iroquois and 
Hurons, but among other tribes. Its practice was however gener- 
ally confined to the feast following the torture of a prisoner, the 
torture being in part an act of vengeance, and partly a religious 
rite. 


226 THE KING AND THE CBOS^ 

one of the leading chiefs. The glossy black of her hair 
excelled the colour of the raven; her head-dress con- 
sisted of the choicest feathers and the gayest hues the 
forests afforded ; and her necklace a string of variegated 
shells from the river or the lake. 

Beads and brooches she had none, but the easy 
negligence and the wild grace with which she adjusted 
about her comely form the scanty dress of skins, parts of 
which were curiously wrought with the quills of the por- 
cupine, gave to her almost a classic beauty. Yet it must 
be acknowledged that her loveliness was more of the 
physical than of the intellectual character ; rather per- 
haps distinguished for masculine strength than for 
feminine delicacy. In fine she might be said to resemble 
a Venus in bronze. 

There were assembled at this time many of the young 
warriors of all the Five Nations, and each tribe fur- 
nished more than one who looked upon the young maiden 
with the jealous eye of love. Rich presents were offered 
to the chief, her father, by her numerous admirers, which 
was understood, according to the custom of their nation, 
to be an offer of marriage. But he, no doubt estimating 
his daughter by the value of the gifts received, did not 
at once accept any of them, waiting to see who of all 
those seeking her hand, would make the greatest ad- 
dition to the offered bounty. 

But had she, the dark eyed girl, no choice of her own ? 
Yes; she had one but without the power to choose ; for 
if the gifts bestowed are accepted by the father, though 
he may not exercise any direct authority over her, still 
she is bound by immemorial usage, and it would scarcely 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


227 


be within her power to resist. She had beheld the rich 
gifts lying at the door of her abode, and she well knew 
their significance. 

As hour by hour the relative value of the several 
presents was changed by continued additions to some of 
them, she knew that her destiny would soon be decided. 
As she looked with affected indifference upon what was 
passing, little notice was taken of her actions as she was 
supposed to be submissive whatever the result might be. 
When it appeared probable that no more additions were 
to be made, the old Seneca warrior, the proud father of 
the dusky maiden, laid his hand upon the chosen gifts in 
token of his acceptance, and the successful suitor came 
forward to claim his chosen bride, but to the utter sur- 
prise of all th'e bird had flown. 

She had been seen but shortly before, and no one 
doubted she was near by ] but it was not so. Every hut and 
cabin in the whole village was searched in vain. Mes- 
sengers were sent to all the neighbouring villages, but 
after a fruitless search they all returned bringing no tid- 
ings. She had completely vanished like a departing 
spirit, and no one could tell whither she went. For days 
and weeks the search was continued but without avail. 
She was gone, and the place of her retreat must remain 
a mystery until it should be disclosed by accident, or by 
the lapse of time. 

Many years before the events here related, the Dutch 
had explored the Hudson and established a trading house 
and commenced a rude settlement at New Orange.^ In 

1 New Orange was changed to its present name, Albany, after 
the English took possession. 


228 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the intervals of their warlike expeditions the Iroquois de- 
voted themselves to hunting. Sometimes a party of them 
would go on an expedition to Fort Orange, to barter their 
furs for such articles of luxury and comfort as had been 
introduced to their knowledge. This was perhaps more 
particularly the case with the Mohawks on account of 
their having more convenient access by way of the river. 
It was on one of these occasions shortly after the oc- 
currences before stated, when a party under the direction 
of Fire-heart which had been successful in the chase, 
took their peltries to New Orange to exchange for goods 
with the Dutch traders, that the scene opens to which 
the attention of the reader is now invited. 

The traffic of these early Dutch colonists with their In- 
dian neighbours consisted almost entirely of the purchase 
of furs, giving in exchange hatchets and knives, blankets, 
cloth, beads and other ornaments ; occasionally tobacco 
and curiously wrought pipes, and in a few instances fire- 
arms with powder and ball. The introduction of these 
strange and powerful weapons among the Iroquois was an 
event of no ordinary importance, and even yet with these 
increased means of defense how soon, as a people, they 
have wasted away ! 

On the occasion referred to. Fire-heart had brought 
several packs of furs and skins and was trying his com- 
mercial powers with a shrewd Dutch trader. The chief 
had displayed his commodities to the best advantage, 
and the articles sought in exchange were in like manner 
placed before the wondering eyes of the savages. 

‘^I gif one planket for one puntle of skins,” said the 
Dutchman, as he sat lazily smoking his pipe. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


229 


Indian no trade that way,” said Fire-heart, and he 
pointed in the direction of his hunting grounds, which 
the trader understood to mean that he would sooner carry 
them back, than dispose of them so cheaply. 

‘ ‘ I gif you den one planket and one string of peads 
for one puntle of skins,” continued the Dutchman. 

Fire-heart here uttered an expression which cannot 
well be rendered into English, but which seemed express- 
ive of the most thorough contempt for the trader. He 
then tried by signs and holding up his fingers to show 
him the number of leagues he had travelled to bring 
them to market. 

“ I gif you den for every puntle, one pipe besides.” 

^‘Ough! white man cheat his red brother. White 
man no love Indian,” said the chief. 

The trader knew the fondness of the Iroquois for to- 
bacco, and he thought that the omission of that article 
in connection with the pipe was the only difficulty in the 
way of a barter; therefore the tobacco was instantly 
added. The Indian then described the deep snows 
through which they had passed in pursuit of game ; the 
rivers they had forded, and the hunger they had often 
endured, and he looked with curious eye upon the knives 
the Dutchman had exhibited. 

“I gif you den a knife, put I gif no more,” said the 
trader. 

The knives were laid out, one for each pack of skins, 
but the bargain was not yet completed. 

“Our hatchets are dull,” said the chief. “When we 
became acquainted with the white man they were sharp, 
but we buried them as a sign of peace, and we would 


230 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


not now dig them up. Should our enemies, the Hurons, 
make war upon us, we must fight them. If the French 
should make war on our white brothers here, our hatchets 
would be sharpened on our affections and we would de- 
fend you.” 

The trader could not resist this last appeal, and so 
the bargain was consummated. There now remained 
several packs of furs which were of more value than the 
skins. A new negotiation was therefore opened for these. 

“I gif you so much for every puntle of furs as I gif 
you for the skins,” said the trader. 

“Ough!” exclaimed Fire-heart, again throwing up 
his arms in a manner expressive of his scorn for the offer. 
“ White man always want to cheat Indian. Indian catch 
beaver in much water,” and he measured by putting his 
hand upon his thigh, the depth to which the savage 
hunter had waded in the rivers and swamps to secure the 
capture of that animal. 

The shrewd Dutchman then offered him some trifling 
addition to the price he had given for the skins; mean- 
while the native had discovered a gun that had before 
been kept out of view. 

“Me give furs for so much me give skins, and you 
give me gun,” said the chief. 

The stolid old Dutchman sat entirely unmoved smok- 
ing his pipe and rolling up volumes of smoke, but taking 
no notice of this last proposal of the Indian, while the 
latter continued looking at the coveted fire-arm. 

“Me go home and tell white man he tell story. Pale 
face say me get musket for so much fur,” laying his hand 
on two of the packs. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


231 


“Pe there white man den where you lif ? ” asked the 
Dutchman with wonder, at the same time withdrawing 
the pipe from his mouth. 

The Indian made no answer for he saw he had dropped 
a word on a subject concerning which he had intended 
to maintain a profound silence. But as the smoke slowly 
rolled away, which like a night fog had obscured the 
mental vision of the Dutchman, he began to think seri- 
ously upon the words the chief had let fall. Fire-heart 
pressed hard for the gun, but the trader stoutly resisted 
all offers and refused to make any proposition himself. 

“Have the Mohawks white man?” presently asked 
the Dutchman, as he lifted the longed-for musket in a 
manner which seemed to say that he thought it a valu- 
able and useful weapon. 

The Indian still hesitated to reply, but being closely 
pressed by the trader who really possessed a benevolent 
heart, he was forced to acknowledge that there was a 
pale face among his tribe detained as a prisoner. The 
tenor of the bargaining was now changed. Much as the 
trader thought of an opportunity to increase his wealth 
by the lucky turns of barter, he took a deeper interest in 
the liberty of his fellow-men. 

“Why do not Indian pring white man with him? 
White man loves to see his friends and smoke a pipe wid 
’em.” 

“ Pale face, Englishman and Frenchman have war be- 
fore leaves fall,” answered the astute chief. 

One question was settled by this reply in the mind of 
the trader. He feared at first that the captive might 
belong to his nation ; perhaps was one whom he knew, 


232 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


as it had sometimes happened that individuals on their 
hunting excursions had wandered too far away and been 
lost. Nevertheless the kindly and humane feelings of 
the Dutchman were none the less active because the 
prisoner was not one of his nation. He was a man, and 
belonged to a civilized and Christian country, and now 
that he was in captivity among a barbarous people, his 
liberation must be effected if possible. He offered the 
Indian the price demanded for the packs of furs on con- 
dition he would deliver up the captive. The chief how- 
ever was not hasty in accepting the proposition. Each 
one saw the strong points of the other’s case, and Fire- 
heart was fully equal to the Dutch merchant in the tact 
and skill of a diplomatist. It was plain that he would 
not lose the opportunity of purchasing the fire-arm, 
hence he would not accept of the conditions offered. 

“Have de Mohawks any other white prisoners?” 
demanded the trader. 

Fire-heart now thought there was no further necessity 
for evasion or concealment ; and he replied that they had 
two more pale faces, a man and a boy. The motives 
which first actuated the Dutchman were now greatly 
intensified j he disclosed to the eyes of the chief and his 
companions another gun, offering them both for the release 
of the captives. 

“Me give three pale faces for three guns,” said the 
chief, “and Indian want powder and ball too.” 

“I gif you all the muskets I haf,” answered the 
trader with some impatience, “and red man could do no 
more.” 

The wily Indian had learned something of the arts of 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


233 


traffic, and he looked up at the Dutchman with an ex- 
pression of incredulity; but on being again and again 
assured by him on this point, he seemed to be satisfied 
and pressed the question no further. The trader still de- 
manded the release of the three prisoners for the two guns, 
but here savage diplomacy was too strong for him. The 
boy was active and could speak the language of white 
men, and might become useful as an interpreter ; besides 
he would easily fall into the customs of the tribe, and 
would in time become an expert and sagacious hunter. 
The chief was satisfied, also, that the opportunity to ran- 
som the two men would not be lost ; that the youth might 
become the subject of future negotiation, and that a large 
sum would doubtless be paid to redeem him from cap- 
tivity. Thus it was agreed, that the two whites should 
be safely conducted to Fort Orange, and that a gun 
should be given for each. 

Now that this difficulty was settled, the trader desired 
to learn from the chief something more of the character 
of the two men ; he therefore inquired of him how long 
they had been with the Mohawks, and how they came there. 
The chief related to him the circumstances of their captiv- 
ity, and described to him their manners and customs. 

“White men be strange men,” said the chief, “one of 
them falls down on his knees, and turning up his face 
and his hands, talks about war, as if, with his eyes shut 
he could see armies of Indians in the skies. The other 
carries around with him something he calls a great 
medicine; when he shows it to the Indians he throws 
water in their faces, as the Mohawks do in the faces of 
their disobedient children.” 


234 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


The trader understood from the motions of the chief 
that what he called the great medicine or charm belong- 
ing to one of the captives, was a cross ; hence he inferred 
its possessor was a French Catholic priest, and from the 
partial account he had given of the other he supposed him 
to be an Englishman.^ 

The sale of the furs yet remained to be concluded. 
The Indian continued to refuse what had before been 
offered, and the trader seemed to be equally firm. The 
resources of the crafty red man however never fail. He 
had disposed of several packs of skins for a blanket, a 
hatchet and a knife, a string of beads, a pipe and a little 
tobacco for each pack; he was now offered the same 
quantity, article by article, for the several bundles of 
furs. The number of the hunting party who had come 
with him was two more than the whole number of the 
packs of furs and • skins counted together. Placing all 
the packages along in a row, he called up his men and 
ranging them one by each of the packs, he showed the 
trader that two of his red brothers would be left without 
anything if he accepted the.offered price. This ingenious 
device succeeded ; two more of each of the articles were 
added and the bargain was closed, when the savag-e 
hunters gathered up their treasures and returned to the 
Mohawk villages. 

1 The propriety of white men selling fire-arms to the natives at 
that early day, unsettled as the country was, and unprotected as any 
future settlers might be against the swarms of savages that infested 
the forests, might well have been questioned. But when the mo- 
tive for it was the liberation of white captives from bondage, its 
policy could not well be doubted. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


235 


Scarcely a month had elapsed after this event when 
Father Jogues and Shirley made their appearance at 
Fort Orange under an Indian escort by whom they were 
set at liberty on the payment of the stipulated ransom. 
The firm old Jesuit soon afterwards sailed for France, 
but within a year from that time returned to Canada 
again to enter upon the dangers and duties of missionary 
labour. 

Less than two years passed away before Jogues was 
again seen among the Mohawks ; in the meantime a 
treaty of peace had been concluded between the French 
and the Five Nations. Let the clouds be dispersed,” 
said the Iroquois; ‘Met the sun shine on all the land be- 
tween us.” 

“Here is a skin of the Moose,” spoke a chief of the 
Algonquins ; “ make moccasins for the Mohawk deputies, 
lest they wound their feet on their way home.” 

Everything betokened the happiest results. Peace 
seemed to be permanently established. “We have 
thrown the hatchet,” said the Mohawks, “so high in the 
air, and beyond the skies, that no arm can reach to bring 
it down. The French shall sleep on our softest blankets 
by the warm fire ; it shall be kept blazing all the night 
long. The shades of our braves that have fallen in war, 
have gone so deep into the earth that they never can be 
heard calling for revenge.” 

Tranquillity reigned for a season between the French, 
their allies the Hurons, and the Iroquois. But the 
fairest sky may be overspread with clouds, and the most 
solemn treaty of peace will not always endure. An envoy 
was sent to visit the Mohawks to make further negoti- 


236 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ations, and was kindly received by them. He offered to 
the Onondagas the protection of France, and there was a 
fair prospect of continued tranquillity. His reports were 
so favourable that it was resolved to establish a permanent 
mission among the Iroquois. 

Who should be the bearer and supporter of the cross in 
this fruitful field of labour ? To a devoted Jesuit it 
would be no light honour. Should he encounter diffi- 
culties and even hardships, it was the cause of Christ in 
which he would suffer. Should he be called to endure 
tortures or mayhap death at the hands of a barbarous 
people, he was labouring for the saving of souls, and the 
loss even of life, would be of little moment compared 
with the object to be gained. Father Joques had now 
become acquainted with the dialect of the Mohawks, and 
he was the chosen apostle in this new, uncultivated vine- 
yard. 

“I shall go, but I shall never return,” said the noble 
missionary priest, as he bade farewell to the brothers of 
the Order. Passing through all the vicissitudes of a 
perilous journey, and suffering almost incredible hard- 
ships, he reached the Mohawk Castle. 

“Whom have we here?” asked Fire-heart, the head 
warrior of the Mohawks. “ He is the same old pale face 
we have once had. He has come to force us to worship 
his Gods. We have the Great Spirit, and wish for no 
other.” 

It was true that Jogues had before been a prisoner 
among them, and a gun or two had paid for his ransom. 
Coming again voluntarily he was treated as a captive. 
He had now no friends among the red men, and was 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


237 


threatened with immediate death. But there was one 
among the Iroquois possessed, singular to relate, of some 
little influence. This was Cedric who had been adopted 
by the tribe. He saw in the priest one of his own 
colour, and he yet retained the better sympathies that 
belong to civilized life. 

<‘Let us keep him,” said the youth, and we can get 
more muskets by setting him at liberty.” 

But the Indians by their trade with the Dutch around 
New Orange, had from time to time obtained some fire- 
arms, and with their bows and arrows, their rude hatchets 
and spears, they felt prepared to meet any enemy that 
would be likely to come against them ; hence they would 
not listen to the voice of the boy. Jogues was accused 
of being an enchanter, and of blighting their harvest. 
They would not be appeased but with his blood, and he 
was conducted to the lodge of one of the principal chiefs. 
As he crossed the threshold, a blow was dealt him with 
a tomahawk that sank into his brain and laid him dead 
at the feet of the warrior. History relates that his head 
was hung upon the palisades of the village, and his body 
thrown into the Mohawk river. Thus perished another 
martyr in the cause of Christianity and of French colo- 
nization. 


238 


i^HE KINO AND THE CROSS 


CHAPTER XVI 


HE reign of Louis XIII, exhibited the rare example 



^ of a ruler who was relieved, by one most com- 
petent to the task, of many of the most serious burthens 
of administering the government; it was also notable in 
having such a pioneer in New France as Champlain, and 
at home such a premier as Richelieu. Both had long 
since passed away, and the King’s successor, Louis XIV, 
who had entered the parliament with a whip in his hand 
as the emblem of absolute monarchy, and under whom 
occurred many of the leading events of this narrative, 
had taken even more effective measures for extending the 
dominion of France on the American continent. 

The energy and genius of Richelieu had made a sensi- 
ble impression on the age in which he lived, and this 
impress might have been observed upon individual 
minds. The great Prime Minister who controlled the 
destinies not only of France but of Europe, and the 
sovereign whom he affected to serve, but in reality gov- 
erned, had died at nearly the same time, and it was per- 
haps fortunate for France that the next sovereign pos- 
sessed within himself the ability to perform the whole 
duty of a King, and that he required no minister to aid 
him in the execution of his purposes. 

The establishment of colonies is the dictate of enlight- 
ened national policy, and the extension of the Roman 
Catholic faith was regarded, even in its political aspect, 
as of scarcely less importance. Through the members 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


23d 


of the Society of Jesus, the most efficient action was to 
be secured. He who supported the ecclesiastical, also 
upheld the civil power. Their warfare was waged 
against wickedness and barbarism, and if they some- 
times subserved their own interests, they never forgot 
their loyalty to the King, or their attachment to the Faith. 

Colonial rivalry with England had begun under the 
administration of Richelieu, and now, the energies of the 
sovereign, aided by the genius of Colbert, were strug- 
gling for the Empire of the West as well as for the com- 
merce of the East. It was expected that the rivers and 
lakes would first be traversed by the heralds of the cross, 
and that the missionary would open the pathways of 
trade with the natives of this vast continent. The con- 
version of the Indians was sought no less as a means 
than as an end ; but whether it was attempted for the 
immediate good it might produce to the red race, or for 
its ultimate effects in extending the French Empire, it was 
ever considered as an object of the highest importance. 

The Five Nations from their superior skill in the arts 
of war, as well as their greater intellectual endowments, 
were sometimes called the Romans of the New World, 
and their conversion to Christianity was regarded as an 
object of the highest moment. But they must be won by 
the allurements of love and affection, for they were in- 
capable of fear. Their thirst for war had been in a meas- 
ure sated by the conquest of the Hurons ; still it was 
far from having subsided, and the use of fire-arms which 
they had now procured to some extent, served to keep 
alive if not to influence, their passion for warlike expedi- 
tions. In the natural order of things rest must succeed 


240 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


labour, and peace and quiet were at length welcomed by 
the Iroquois. 

Many of the Hurons who had been dispersed by the 
sanguinary conflicts had sought refuge among their con- 
querors, and had been adopted by them into their nation. 
These retained a feeling of friendship for their former 
allies, the French, a circumstance which seemed favour- 
able to missionary enterprise. 

The Mohawks were considered the most powerful and 
warlike of the Five Nations, and the first missionary at- 
tempts among the Iroquois had been made wdth that peo- 
ple ; they had manifested not only their unwillingness to 
believe, but their determination to refuse the acceptance 
of the doctrines of Christianity by murdering the priest 
sent out to them. Again and again had the bravest of 
Christian soldiers been taken from the ranks of the 
Jesuits. One always stood ready to supply the place of 
the fallen martyr. Unappalled by the death of Jogues, 
another had attempted to infuse into them the spirit of 
civilization and the blessings of religion, but his labours 
were in vain although he escaped with his life. 

Now the influence of the Jesuits was planted anew 
among another and a gentler tribe of the confederacy, the 
Onondagas. They dwelt at that time on the banks of the 
Oswego and its tributary waters, and their territory was 
regarded as a part of the Empire of France, the Oswego 
being considered as a tributary of the St. Lawrence. One 
there was who had dared, after so many had been cut 
down, again to bring the cross into the country of the 
Iroquois. It was he whose enthusiasm had been kindled 
by the study of the lives of Francis Xavier and Ignatius 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


241 


Loyola, the zealous yet crafty Enrico. For a season, he 
had neglected the nobler and better promptings of his na- 
ture to follow the base pursuit of gain. His religious feel- 
ings however had again been warmed and vivified, so that 
now he stood forth the champion of the Catholic Faith. 

With him came two others who were scarcely less pow- 
erful auxiliaries of the Roman Catholic Church, Christie 
and another half-breed named Henri Thevalle. Both 
had been converted but had known more of the form of 
religion than of its'spirit or its power. Would they be per- 
mitted to dwell there ? They had all been well received 
on their arrival; a great meeting had been held and 
numerous and valuable presents had been given them ; 
everything they most desired was therefore hoped from the 
enterprise. The words of Enrico came warm and glow- 
ing from the alembic of his imagination, wakening the sym- 
pathies of the savages into life. 

‘‘I bring you,” said he, “the symbol of the worship 
of Christ, and teach you the history of His birth. His life 
and His death ; how He rose again from the dead, and 
ascended on high, where He is waiting to receive the souls 
of the red men into heaven. He was a great conqueror, 
far surpassing any of the heroes among the Iroquois, even 
the Mohawks themselves; for He has triumphed over 
death and the grave. The grim old monster who shall 
come with his scythe and cut down all the red race, has 
no power over the Saviour of the world ; for His life is a 
life that shall never fail ; His glory, a glory that shall last 
forever ; His triumph, a triumph that shall never cease, 
and the field of His conquest is the whole universe, which 
is without bounds, and without end.” 


242 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Happy land!” said the chiefs and others who 
gathered about the black-robed missionary and his com- 
panions. Happy land in which the French are to 
dwell ; ” and the head warrior of the tribe cried aloud, 
“ Glad tidings 1 glad tidings I it is well that we have 
spoken together ; it is well that we have a heavenly mes- 
sage.” 

“ I not only bring you the cross, but I place before you 
the symbol of the power of the King,” continued Enrico, 
as he displayed to them the arms of France. He is a 
great chief, more powerful than all the chiefs of the Five 
Nations, and has conquered more people than all the red 
men of the world. He uses not the bow or the arrow, 
but he fights his enemies with great guns whose voice is 
as the roar of the thunder, making the hills and the 
mountains to shake.” 

The untutored savages listened with wonder and ad- 
miration to the description of this mighty chief, and in- 
quired through Christie as to his stature and strength. 

‘‘He is taller,” said Enrico, “than the tallest Mo- 
hawk, and his arm is wondrous strong. The warriors 
that he can bring to the field of battle are more numer- 
ous than the trees in all your hunting grounds I ” 

The interpreter confirmed all that the priest had im- 
plied, then continued, “ He is the envoy of France to dis- 
cover new countries, and to take possession of them in 
the name of his great chief, the King. He is also the 
ambassador of the Great Spirit to enlighten the red men 
by the preaching of the gospel.” 

“ How beautiful,” exclaimed one of the older warriors 
of the Onondagas, “how beautiful is the Sun, French- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


243 


man, when thou comest to visit us ! Our whole village 
awaits thee; thou shalt enter in peace into all our 
dwellings.” 

The huts of these rude savages were but frail structures 
made of the branches of trees and covered with bark ; 
‘‘but the path to heaven,” said the missionary, “is as 
open through a roof of bark, as through arched ceilings 
of silver and gold.” 

Everything denoted the happiest issue and almost as 
by magic, a chapel sprung into existence in the ancient 
and magnificent forest of the Onondagas. The natives 
lent a willing hand to its construction, and it was finished 
within the brief space of two days. There, in the heart 
of New York, the solemn services of the Roman Catholic 
Church were chanted as securely as in any part of Chris- 
tendom, and the eloquence of Father Enrico found its way 
to the souls of the Onondagas through the interpretations 
of the more fluent Thevalle, for he possessed, with the 
natural ease and grace of the Frenchman in expression, 
all the sublime imagery and beauty of thought and dic- 
tion which belong peculiarly and almost exclusively to 
the natives of the American wilderness. 

The religious teaching of the Roman Catholic Church 
always highly emblematical, was doubtless made more so 
by the early French missionaries. Their teachings were 
kindly received by the aborigines as a substitute for the 
more crude beliefs they had before entertained ; and the 
cross and the lily, emblems of France and Christianity, 
were now known in the basin of the Oswego. 

Before this period, the religious ideas and the religious 
rites of the natives constituted the worst system of pa- 


244 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ganism, and the sacrifice of human victims was occasion- 
ally practiced to appease their offended deities. They 
recognized, it is true, a higher nature than their own, but 
they never conceived of the unity of God as a first cause, 
though they had a vague notion of some powerful Mani- 
tou, the spirit of good and life, who made the world. In 
their crude system of faith, everything, animate or inan- 
imate, had its presiding divinity. The woods and the 
waters, the hills and the valleys, mountains and water- 
falls ; the sun, moon and stars ; even all animals had 
their especial god or spirit, by which they were always 
attended and always protected. 

Another peculiar feature in the religion of the red men 
before they had at all associated with civilized man, was 
their care for the remains of the dead. These were al- 
ways buried in a sitting posture as if they would one day 
rise to life again. With them were also buried their 
dresses and their ornaments ; their implements of warfare, 
of the chase and food for their journey to the land of 
spirits. The belief in a future state of existence was uni- 
versal, but the idea of future retribution was derived from 
the Europeans. ‘‘We raise not our thoughts,” they 
would say to the missionaries, “to your heaven ; we de- 
sire only the paradise of our ancestors.” 

Sacrifices of fruits and tobacco were frequently made 
by them when going to war or to the chase, by throwing 
it into the fire, or by casting it upon the waters of dan- 
gerous rapids, to avert any calamity they feared might 
come upon them. Through the medium of dreams they 
communicated with the invisible world, and regarded 
these revelations with superstitious awe as possessing the 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


245 


reality of a divine message ; the savage would no sooner 
neglect the admonitions of the one, than would the 
Christian those of the other. 

But these things seemed to be past, or passing away. 
A French colony was invited to settle among the Onon- 
dagas, and a company of fifty were received with dances, 
songs, feasting and every manifestation of joy. The 
question of adopting Christianity as their religion was 
debated by the natives at a solemn council. The Cayu- 
gas received a missionary, and in the rude chapel erected 
by them, were displayed the images and pictures of 
saints and of the Holy Virgin. The Oneidas, too, and 
the Senecas listened to the voice of the Jesuit; the 
standard of France was planted in Western New York, 
and the Catholic faith was proclaimed from the Mohawk 
to the Genesee. Where now stand the towers and spires 
of Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches, was then 
erected the cross by the fearless missionaries of the Order 
of Jesus. Where now are the cultivated fields, the well- 
stored farmhouses, thriving towns and cities, were then 
the Indian’s wigwam and his wild hunting grounds. 

Breboeuf, Daniel, Lalemant and Jogues had been 
martyred by the red men, and now the dreaded Iroquois 
were listening to the preaching and teachings of one of 
the same Order. The living and labouring missionaries 
pressed upon the steps of their countrymen who had 
been boiled and roasted, always declaring they “should 
have esteemed it the greatest happiness to have died for 
the glory of God. ’ ’ 

The captive boy Cedric had remained with the Mo- 
hawks, associating with the younger Indians, participat- 


246 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ing in all their sports and athletic exercises, becoming an 
expert in the use of the bow, as much so as the most 
active of the tribe. He had perfectly acquired their 
language and become thoroughly imbued with the man- 
ners and customs of the nation. He had but little recol- 
lection of the land of his birth, and any desire he might 
once have cherished to return to it, or be reunited to his 
kindred and those of his own blood, was entirely banished 
from his mind and almost obliterated from his memory. 
In a word, in all but his features and the colour of his 
skin, he was thoroughly an Indian. 

A long period had elapsed since Father Jogues and the 
Puritan Shirley had been ransomed, and Cedric had seen 
the worthy priest after he had again returned to the Mo- 
hawks, fall by a blow from the war club. Yet he could 
not be said to be averse to their customs and habits, ex- 
cepting only their occasional raids upon the white settle- 
ments. At present he is on a hunting expedition with a 
small number of Mohawks, Fire-heart and Wild Cat be- 
ing of the party. They have taken a wide sweep around 
from the south bank of the Mohawk, but have met with 
but little success in the chase. Arriving at a small 
stream which is a tributary of that river, they closely ex- 
amined the bank for signs of the beaver, and as Wild 
Cat reached the opposite shore he bent down as if he 
had discovered something he was endeavouring to un- 
derstand. A mark had been made in the soft earth either 
by a human being or some animal. 

Ough ! ” exclaimed he, as he saw what he thought 
to be the track of a man. Some trader been here, No 
Mohawk make this mark.” 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


247 


‘‘What see, Wild Cat?” demanded Fire-heart of the 
other, calling to him from across the narrow stream. 

By this time the whole party had forded the river, and 
had come up to the spot where Wild Cat was ; each one 
began to inspect the mark, and to form his own opinion 
of the character of the person by whom it was made. 
Upon this point they were of one mind ; the indenta- 
tions had been made by some one crossing the river in 
the same direction as themselves. It was plain that an 
impression had been made by a human foot, but the soil 
was so soft and yielding, that it had partially closed up, 
and its form could not be exactly ascertained. 

It was agreed that the party should stretch out into a 
line, extending both up and down the river for a consid- 
erable distance, examining the banks as they went for 
the purpose of ascertaining whether the person they 
sought had probably re-crossed the stream. If nothing 
of this kind should be discovered, they were to leave the 
stream and advance in a direction nearly at right angles 
with it, keeping close watch all the time for any signs of 
the trail. Fire-heart was placed on the right and Wild 
Cat on the left, while Cedric was near the centre, the 
rest of the hunters being spread out on either side of him. 
In this way they moved forward, though not always ad- 
vancing in right lines, for by going in a direction varying 
somewhat, they would be more likely to discover the 
trail. 

The boy, however, having become expert in the discov- 
ery and significance of signs, was under little or no restraint 
from the leaders, and therefore moved forward with speed 
without reference to the progress of his companions. He did 


248 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


not want the sagacity of the Indian to discover that some 
hours at least, had elapsed since the track they had seen 
on the bank of the river was made. He readily divined 
that whoever had passed that way, must by that time 
have gained a considerable distance, and that the trail 
would be more easily discovered at a more advanced 
point than near the stream. He therefore hurried on so 
rapidly that the rest of the party were soon left in the 
rear, and, to them, he was quite out of sight. 

It was not long after this before he discovered the stalk 
of a wild flower bent down in the very direction he was 
going. Examining it carefully, and then raising it up to 
see if it naturally came to an upright position, which it 
did, satisfled him that he was on the right track. Cedric 
however looked for further evidences of this before pur- 
suing, when he soon found that his first impressions were 
correct. Keeping on his way as rapidly as he could, 
and pausing ever and anon for fresh signs of the trail, he 
left certain marks behind him, such as he knew would be 
understood by the Mohawks as a token that he was on 
the trail of him they were pursuing. Hill and valley 
were passed, through open woodland and tangled under- 
growth, where fresh signs of the trail continually ap- 
peared, till the dusk of evening came, then he halted in 
the pursuit. 

Though Cedric was a stranger to the sensation of fear, 
he was not wanting in prudence. He well knew that if 
he kept on he might be drawn into ambush, and an ar- 
row or a bullet might strike him before he could have 
any warning. He therefore wisely determined to wait 
till the party should come up. 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 


249 


Not long after he had outstripped his companions, one 
of the Indians came upon the trail which he followed, 
but without being able to distinguish the marks made by 
the person they pursued from those left by Cedric. 
But as the savage kept on he came to more unequivocal 
signs, when he gave a signal which was heard by his 
nearest companion who repeated it to the next, and so on 
till it reached the ears of Fire-heart and Wild Cat, when 
they all closed in to the centre, and soon came up to the 
place where the foremost of the Mohawks had struck the 
trail. They then pursued their march according to the 
Indian custom till they reached the spot where Cedric 
had halted. 

‘‘Well done! white skin,” said Fire-heart, “a good 
chase you led Indian. White skin make good hunter 
as red man.” 

“ Has pale face lost the trail ? ” asked Wild Cat, speak- 
ing his native tongue, which for convenience here, as in 
the other parts of this narrative, is rendered into English. 

“The trail is not lost,” he replied, “that mark is easily 
followed,” pointing as he spoke to the sign. 

“Was white skin then afraid of finding what he was 
hunting after ? ” asked Wild Cat in a tone of ill feeling. 

“Not that,” answered the fearless youth, “but I was 
afraid I should lose my friends the Mohawk leaders.” 

Wild Cat was not pleased, though Fire-heart laughed 
at the reply of the boy. As it was now dark it was 
deemed prudent to encamp for the night but without 
making any fire, lest the light should lead to their dis- 
covery, and that early on the morrow the trail should be 
pursued with increased vigilance. Down under the 


250 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


spreading arms of the lofty forest trees fell each dusky 
hunter wrapping himself in the coarse blanket he bore 
with him, it being a part of the fruits of the last year’s 
hunting forays. And the boy — he too lay there in the 
midst of that savage circle, more honoured by the Mo- 
hawks that night than ever before during the whole 
period of his captivity. 

The party intended to be on the march at the first 
peep of day, and it was generally regarded as the busi- 
ness of the leaders to see that the sleepers were awake 
and ready betimes. The savages had lain down as to an 
ordinary night’s repose, and sleep had come unbidden 
to their eyes. But the white boy’s mind was full of the 
adventures of the day and expectations of the morrow. 
Like the others he lay wrapped in the miserable remnant 
of a blanket, his straining eyes all night long upturned, 
watching for the first gray light of morning that should 
fall through the tops of the overhanging trees. The slow 
hours were never more tedious to the impatient anxiety 
of mortal man than were they to Cedric that night. 

Once or twice he fell into a restless and imperfect 
slumber, dreaming of coming suddenly upon him whose 
steps he had followed the day before, and that he had a 
terrible encounter with a man of matchless strength, 
when suddenly he awoke from the mental excitement of 
his dream disturbed and oppressed. At last he saw the 
thick darkness begin to break away and the early dawn 
appear, when he instantly rose and laid his hand lightly 
on the shoulder of Fire-heart, who opened his eyes and 
looking upon the youth uttered an exclamation of sur- 
prise, bestowing upon him a name, which in English 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


251 


means the Watcher, by which he was afterwards known. 

“White skin too quick for Indian,” said he, “ him see 
daylight before it reaches the tree tops.” With an ex- 
clamation of a peculiar gutteral sound the rest of the 
savages were aroused, and within an incredibly short 
space of time all were on their way. As they proceeded 
distinct signs of the trail were seen at almost every step. 
To the Watcher was conceded the privilege of taking the 
lead, as a compliment to him for having discovered the 
trail and following it without any assistance from them. 

“We find him — white skin or red skin before midday,” 
said Fire-heart, raising his hand to the meridian. 

Wild Cat did not seem to be well pleased with the suc- 
cess of the boy, but nevertheless continued to follow 
closely in his footsteps. A few hours brought them to 
the place where the person they were pursuing had lain 
the night before, also to unequivocal indications that he 
had only recently left it. 

“Now let our steps be long and hasty,” said Fire- 
heart, “and we shall soon overtake him.” 

The chief was right, for another half hour brought 
them in sight of a man armed with an old gun, and clad 
in the worst style of the Europeans. Observing his pur- 
suers he turned around to face them, laying down his 
arms as a token of submission as they approached. He 
was a white man, and when addressed in the Mohawk 
tongue, answered first in the language of England and 
then of France, both of which were but imperfectly un- 
derstood by Cedric, he having learned somewhat of the 
latter from the traders, while he had almost forgotten his 
native tongue. 


252 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


Where pale face going?" asked Fire-heart; a ques- 
tion which the Watcher interpreted as well as he could 
into French. *‘You will find no white men in these 
woods." 

The captive not knowing exactly the character of the 
savage band into whose hands he had fallen, hesitated 
at first about giving an account of himself, but declared 
that he had left New Orange on a hunting tour, and that 
he had become bewildered and lost in the dense forest 
into which he had penetrated. Fire-heart did not be- 
lieve this story, and though he saw nothing in the ap- 
pearance of the man to create any fear in his own mind 
of the presence of an enemy, he yet thought he might be 
traversing the country as a spy. 

A council was held by the Mohawks apart from their 
prisoner, when it was determined to conduct him to the 
principal village of the Onondagas, which was then the 
central station, or place of meeting for the Iroquois ; and 
that a further consultation should then be held. The 
captive’s gun was taken from him and placed in the 
hands of one of the Indians, while he was compelled to 
bear a portion of their burden. In this manner, keeping 
up with the rapid pace of his captors, was he forced to 
march without rest, and almost without food for twenty 
or thirty leagues to the country of the Onondagas. 

They had approached within a few miles of their vil- 
lage when they met a party of the Onondaga nation, 
upon which they halted and held a consultation. These 
young braves, like themselves, had been sent out in pur- 
suit of game, and learning that the Mohawks were near- 
ing their village with a white prisoner, they insisted that 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 253 

according to the customs of their tribe, they should re- 
turn and give notice of the approach of the captive, and 
that he should be received by running the gauntlet. 
The prisoner was therefore obliged to pass through the 
dreaded ordeal. The trial was past, and near the bloody 
tree which had been pointed out to him' as the haven of 
safety he must reach through the long line of savages, 
men, women and children which had been formed on 
either side of him, stood Enrico the Jesuit. 

As he attained the goal all bruised and worn, the cap- 
tive started with a look of anxious wonder when he saw 
one of his own colour standing calm and impassive before 
him. He had not experienced the same feeling at the 
sight of the Watcher, for he was disguised as a Mohawk, 
even to the painting of his face, so that whether he be- 
longed to a nation of savages or Christians, the prisoner 
was unable to discover. 

^‘Holy Father,” said Enrico, crossing himself and 
raising his eyes to heaven, as he looked upon the captive ; 

he is of my own nation ! I think I can discover in that 
face traces of French origin.” The priest always spoke 
of himself as a Frenchman, as indeed he was by birth, 
though descended from a Spanish hidalgo. 

And you then. Father,” said the captive addressing 
Enrico in French, and in a manner expressive of his re- 
spect for the office he appeared to hold among the 
Onondagas, “area native of France ? ” 

The Jesuit answered in the affirmative. “ But I was 
not known,” said he, “in my own land by the title of 
the holy office I now bear. Then I was a follower 
after pleasure and the gayeties of the world, and no 


^54 THE KING AND THE CROSS 

name was oftener heard from the lips of thoughtless youth 
and joyous beauty in the gay circles of pleasure-loving 
Paris than that of Enrico. But since I have assumed 
the sacred functions of a priest there is added to my 
name the dignified appellation of Father.” 

His hearer paused and looked thoughtful at the men- 
tion of this name; after a moment he asked him the 
period of his leaving the French capital, and being in- 
formed, he then inquired if he remembered a young 
Englishman, Vincent^ by name, who was about that 
time, a resident of Paris. 

The priest was here no less surprised by the sound of 
this name than the captive had been by that of Enrico. 
He looked again and again at the prematurely aged face 
before him, as if trying to resolve some doubt which had 
hastily taken possession of his mind. It was plain that 
the recollection of early thoughts and old associations 
was puzzling the brain of Enrico, and beginning to as- 
sume the form and character of a reality, when, as sud- 
denly as a newborn ray of light, the truth flashed upon 
his mind, and he exclaimed: ‘‘Thou art the man?” 
and the captive answered, “ I am he ; and this is my early 
friend, Enrico?” 

In an instant they were in each other’s arms, and the 
long, fervent embrace was almost sufficient to press the 
life out of their feeling and affectionate hearts. Christie, 
who was standing by, had heard the conversation be- 
tween the two strangely reunited friends, and explained, 
as far as he was able, its import to the Mohawks and 

^ Vincent is not a fictitious character. He was an able man 
who lived, moved and played his part in the drama of life. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


255 


Onondagas, who stood around in a promiscuous throng, 
wondering what the singular conduct of the Jesuit could 
mean. 

When this was over, Enrico gave him a hasty sketch 
of his adventurous life since leaving France, and Vin- 
cent in turn began to relate the events of his own. 
Enrico was mistaken in supposing he saw in him the linea- 
ments of a Frenchman, for in truth he did not at all re- 
semble that people, but the lines of once familiar thotigh 
long forgotten features had taken hold of his memory, 
and they could not, at once, be wholly recalled. Vin- 
cent, as before related, was the Englishman who had 
left his country and had gained the favour as well as the 
protection of the French king. But the advantages he 
had secured in the French capital were, in an unfortunate 
moment, thrown away. He had zealously espoused the 
doctrines of Calvin, and in an unguarded hour hatd 
given grave offence to Colbert, the distinguished Minister 
of Finance under Louis the Magnificent. 

His transgression was an act calculated to bring the 
Roman Catholic religion into reproach, and Colbert 
would not be reconciled. Vincent’s only alternative was 
to leave the kingdom. He dared not return to Eng- 
land, but thought he might be safe in any of the British 
colonies, so finding means to reach an English port 
almost at the very time a ship was to sail for New Eng- 
land, he sought there an asylum from those persecutions 
that had driven him from his native and his adopted 
countries. 

There was rest for a season. Domestic happiness was 
his ; but after a time the quiet place of his retreat was 


256 THE KING AND THE CROSS 

desolated by the ravages of Indian warfare ; and his 
only child, a dark-eyed, handsome lad was stolen away. 

“And now,” said he, as the tears began to fall down 
his weather-beaten face, “the mother of my boy, the 
wife of my bosom, has been taken from me by death, 
and so, alone in the world, as I have been in the wilder- 
ness, have I come here in the anxious but vain hope, 
that, by wandering from village to village, I could find 
my long lost son.” 

The voice of Vincent here became stifled by his emo- 
tions, and the power of further utterance was suspended. 
Father Enrico looked upon him and then upon the face 
of the Watcher. Vincent had buried his face in his 
hands, and the Jesuit had a better opportunity to con- 
template the countenance of the boy. To the eyes 
of the captive, bewildered as he was by the events 
of the day, the painted youth was scarcely dis- 
tinguishable from the native Mohawk. But the keen, 
observant eye of Enrico had discerned, even through the 
paint of the Watcher and the furrowed face of the man 
before him, traces of resemblance which, he thought, 
were not to be mistaken. He beckoned to the boy to 
come near him, and when Vincent raised his head, look- 
ing through his tears, the priest directed the gaze of the 
youth into his eye, when, as by the power of the magnet 
which is felt but cannot be seen, father and son were 
locked in each other’s embrace, neither knowing which 
gave the first sign of recognition. 

Wild Cat and Fire-heart, as well as the chiefs of the 
Onondagas again gathered round the Jesuit and in- 
quired the cause of these strange actions between the 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


257 


white captive and the Watcher. Christie explained 
to them all he had heard from the lips of either, 
and when they knew that the boy claimed relationship 
with the captive, they pressed around him and offered to 
adopt him into their nation. Now came the struggle 
between the customs and associations of savage and 
civilized life. The last great object of Vincent, the dis- 
covery of his son, had been accomplished. All the 
dear ties of affection which bound him to life had been 
severed, and this, alone of them all, was now as by a 
miracle, reunited. The son had for so long a period ac- 
customed himself to the manners and customs of the 
nation by which he had been adopted, that he desired to 
remain with them for the rest of his life. Vincent there- 
fore was offered a home in their village and a place in 
their wigwams. 

The father, however, had sought the son, not to live 
with him as a savage, but that he might with him spend 
the remainder of his days among civilized people. For 
this, had he left his home ; for this, had he traversed the 
illimitable woods, braving every hazard, and exposing 
himself to innumerable dangers. But Cedric had be- 
come inured to the severe habits of the savages and en- 
deared to them ; moreover he was fond of the sports of 
the chase. 

To the mind of Vincent there came a throng of rush- 
ing memories. When for the first time he was saluted as 
father by that wild looking youth who possessed all the 
exterior decorations of a thoroughbred Mohawk, he wept 
at the thought that he who alone would bear his name 
should live the life of the red man, and that his own 


258 tHE KING AND THE CROSS 

blood should be mingled with that of barbarians. The 
Watcher on the other hand, loved the freedom of the 
woods, and was strongly attached to the nation by whom 
he had been adopted. 

A great festival was soon to be held at Onondaga, at 
which many would be present from all the tribes com- 
posing the Five Nations, and much was said by Cedric 
of the pleasures and sports of the occasion, and Enrico 
had promised Vincent his friendly mediation with the 
Mohawks to induce them to consent that the boy might 
return to the home of his father. The old man had 
therefore proposed to his son to stay until the festivities 
were ended, when he should return with him to his New 
England home, and if he did not then wish to remain, 
he might at any time return to the Mohawks. 

To this proposition the Watcher assented. But alas ! 
before that day arrived Vincent was laid low by the in- 
sidious attacks of a most malignant fever. His frame 
rapidly sank, and the simple remedies known and used 
by the sons of the forest, brought no relief. He died 
and was buried, and was the first captive Christian who 
had gone to his last rest without violence among the 
Iroquois. He was interred by the direction of his faith- 
ful son under the spreading branches of a large oak, and 
in respect to his memory, on its trunk was carved the 
initials of his name and date of his death. Cedric’s sole 
relative on earth was gone, and henceforth the Watcher 
wa^ identified with the Mohawks. 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


259 


CHAPTER XVII 

T T was now almost on the eve of the important festival 
^ and active preparations were going on for the event. 
The band of Mohawks still lingered waiting its ap- 
proach, and some of the Oneidas and Cayugas had al- 
ready arrived. Here too was Father Enrico, hoping to 
take advantage of the presence of so many Indians from 
different and distant nations, to exert a favourable in- 
fluence in behalf of the Faith, and perhaps to aid in ex- 
tending the dominion of the French king. The Watcher 
too was still among them, for since his aged father was 
laid in the grave, the only ties he now cared for were 
those which bound him to the associations of savage life. 
Nevermore should he hear the calls of kindred inviting 
him to return to civilized society. Like the Indian, the 
woods and fields he claimed to be his by possession, if not 
by conquest ; he loved with a boyish ardour the wild 
freedom of the forest, and nothing but imprisonment or 
death could lessen this feeling of liberty. 

The day of the festival has arrived. The aged chiefs 
and young warriors from all parts of the Confederacy 
were there, also the women, and many of the youthful 
Indian maidens. The Senecas are there in great num- 
bers ; but where is Ah-i-wee-o, the lissome and dark-eyed 
girl, who, a few years before so mysteriously disappeared 
from the Mohawk village ? That old Seneca chief, her 
father, has had no tidings from her, and he now comes 


260 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


with tokens of mourning, hoping against hope that some 
one may relieve him of the sorrow that weighs him down, 
by giving him news of his child. 

The season is the last of summer, and the festival is 
that of the Corn Dance. The Iroquois are by this an- 
cient custom of the red men, opening their hearts and 
pouring out their thanksgivings to the Great Spirit for the 
genial season and the abundant harvest. Rude as were 
the customs of this remarkable people, they yet possessed 
some of the sentiments of natural religion, and in many 
things they only differed from Christians in this, that 
while these last ascribe all power in heaven and earth, all 
blessings and all mercies to the one God as the Creator 
and Governor of all, the Indian refers them to the un- 
seen and all-powerful agency of their peculiar Divinities. 

At these festivals the burthen of their songs is the 
goodness of the Great Spirit in sending an abundant 
harvest of the fruits of the earth, and supplications for 
the continuance of his favours ; sometimes they are 
mingled with chants or songs in praise of their valour 
and of their success in battle, breathing defiance to their 
enemies. 

It was known to all the young braves that a chief of 
the Senecas bore a message of some sort, a challenge it 
was thought to be, from the Eries,^ a nation dwelling on 
the southeast side of Lake Erie, which, in due time 

^ “ The Eries were among the most powerful and warlike of all 
the Indian tribes. They resided on the south side of the great 
lake which bears their name, at the foot of which now stands the 
City of Buffalo. The Indian name for which was Te-osah-wa.” — 
KHchum. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


261 


would be made known in a grand council of all the 
chiefs, that would be called for the purpose of consider- 
ing it. Most of the surrounding Indian nations were 
jealous of the growing power of the Iroquois ; the Eries 
being of themselves a very warlike nation, and believing 
that the Confederacy was formed for destructive purposes, 
had determined on testing their skill and their prowess. 

The year before, they had sent a message to the 
Senecas, who were the nearest, as well as one of the 
noblest of the Five Nations, proposing that one hundred 
young men chosen from all the nations of the Con- 
federacy, should be matched against an equal number of 
the Eries in a game of ball, for such a wager as the 
chiefs of the Iroquois should propose. A council had 
been convened and this proposition fully considered, but 
it was thought by the older and more influential chiefs 
that disagreements would be likely to grow out of a trial 
of skill, which was probably only intended as a source 
of amusement, and that war would be the final result. 
Though the younger warriors were impatient to accept 
the challenge, the counsels of the older chiefs prevailed, 
and the challenge was declined. 

The Eries who had assembled to hear the answer of 
the Iroquois, became more boastful and vainglorious 
than ever, and their songs and chants were in honour of 
their own prowess, and in derision of the cowardice of 
the Iroquois. There were hot bloods there, who were 
panting for war, and would be willing to seize upon any 
provocation to produce it, but they first wished to con- 
front the Iroquois in some of their peaceful sports that 
they might form some opinion of their activity and skill. 


262 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


if not of their intrepidity. It was therefore determined 
to renew the challenge. Scarcely had the grand council 
of the Confederacy dispersed, when the second message 
was received. This was not answered with the same 
promptness as the other had been, because there was a 
stronger disposition to accept it, the Iroquois believing it 
was made in bravado, and perhaps intended as an insult. 
The occasion of another meeting of the confederates was 
waited for, before determining what answer should be re- 
turned. 

It was difficult at this juncture to restrain the impetu- 
osity of the young warriors. They could not bear that 
any nation upon the continent should call in question, 
even among their own people, the courage or the spirit 
of the Iroquois. But the nations were at peace, and as 
they desired to remain so better counsels again prevailed ; 
the challenge was therefore a second time refused. Thus 
matters had remained and were likely to remain, unless 
another defiant demand should be made by the Eries. 
Of this character might be the message which the Senecas 
were charged to deliver. 

The principal sports of the festival were ended, and 
the old men began to assemble in council. It was not 
uncommon for them to discuss subjects relating to the 
weightier affairs of the nation, while the young men were 
enjoying the frolics which usually concluded the feast. 
On this important occasion the youthful braves were not 
behind the old chiefs. The council fire was lighted, and 
the vast throng of men, women and children, assembled 
from the different nations composing the Confederacy 
who had so lately been engaged in their revels, were 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


263 


hushed into profound silence and the most perfect order. 
The Mohawks, the first in rank among the Five Nations 
were entitled to precedence in their councils. 

“Brothers,” said Fire-heart, addressing himself more 
particularly to the Onondagas, at whose village the con- 
ference was held, “ we are glad to meet you in peace this 
day. The sun shines on all the land between you and 
your brothers the Mohawks. We have eaten of your 
bread and venison your hunters have taken, and we are 
filled. We are glad to meet our brothers the Oneidas 
and the Cayugas here. We meet them in peace. The 
clouds cannot rest on the hills between our land and 
theirs. The breath of the Great Spirit has blown them 
away. Our brothers the Senecas have come a long way, 
and their path has been made smooth by peace. We 
ought to thank the Great Spirit that he has kept away the 
clouds of war, that the light of love be not darkened. 
We have had enough of sanguinary conflicts, and have 
lost many men. Our old warriors are few ; but our young 
men are many, and they are strong. Let us throw the 
hatchet so high in the air that the Great Spirit will not 
permit it to come down.” 

When Fire-heart sat down there was a low murmur of 
approval and of satisfaction that ran through the vast 
crowd. It was a long time since they had been engaged 
in any conflict. Since the conquest of the Hurons they 
had been almost entirely at peace. The Indian mother 
did not now, at every uncertain sound she chanced to 
hear, draw her infant to her bosom for fear that it would 
be torn away by a cruel foe. Its cradle could be hung 
securely on the boughs of a tree and be fanned by the 


264 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


breezes which would only kiss its cheek and play with its 
raven hair. 

The profound silence was next broken by the old chief 
of the Senecas, he who was still mourning for the loss of 
his beloved daughter. All eyes were turned to him, 
thinking that what he had to say would have reference to 
the discovery of his child. She had been as sprightly as 
the bounding roe, and her eye had the mild beauty of 
the gazelle. 

‘‘The Senecas too, are glad there is peace,” said the 
old chief; “they are glad that the Great Spirit has given 
them plenty. No cloud of w^ar has cast a shadow be- 
tween them and any of their brothers of the Five Nations. 
Our neighbours, the Fries, I fear would like to provoke a 
war with us ; but the hatchet is buried deep ; let us not 
dig it up. They have again sent us the challenge we 
have twice refused. Should we accept it now, I am 
troubled lest their young and headstrong braves provoke 
our warriors and war ensue. We would live in peace. 
I fear the Fries have two faces, and that one of them 
speaks lies. The Senecas have but one face, and that is 
truth. In war the red men can never be happy, and in 
peace they are not always so. A daughter of a Seneca 
chief has been lost. Many years have passed, and still 
she returns not. I thought once she had been stolen by 
one of the Fries, and I sent to ask their chiefs, but they 
said, no : they knew not her abiding-place. The Seneca 
chief did not go to look for her himself. He was afraid the 
Fries would think him a spy, and would make war upon 
his people ; besides he thought then they spoke with one 
tongue. He fears their tongue is double now. The 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


265 


Senecas and the Mohawks, and all of the Five Nations 
have proved their courage time and again. What need 
they more ? Let us have no contest with them and we 
shall have tranquillity and not an outbreak, the end of 
which no one amongst us can foresee.” 

It had been well for the Fries if the prudent counsel 
of the old, experienced chief had prevailed. None of 
the Senecas were of sterner materials than he, but many 
had a more ardent ambition, as well as less mature judg- 
ment. Then arose a young Seneca brave famed for his 
eloquent tongue. Like the sound of the clarion to the 
war-horse, was that voice to the youthful warriors of the 
Confederacy. 

^^We are men,” said he, “and we are warriors. 
Shall the Iroquois, who fear not their enemies in battle, 
reject a trial of strength or of skill? Already do the 
Fries despise us ; our name has become a reproach among 
them. They have sung of their own courage at their 
feasts and have spoken in derision of the Iroquois. They 
believe us to be cowards ; will they not proclaim it and 
sneer at the name of a Seneca if we refuse to take up the 
gauntlet they have thrown down ? Let no Seneca hesitate 
to meet the Fries in any encounter of strength, or any 
trial of skill.” 

As he finished, every young warrior and many of the 
older ones felt their pride as well as their courage aroused, 
and almost with one accord they demanded to be per- 
mitted to engage in the contest. Fven the women, as 
the young braves thought, were looking on to see who 
should be foremost among them to vindicate the honour 
of the Iroquois, No warrior would be backward when he 


266 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


encountered the brilliant eye of the Indian maiden, to 
hazard his own life for the reputation of his race. There 
was such a strong current of intense feeling that not even 
the prudence and sagacity of the old chiefs, the patriarchs 
of the Five Nations could resist. The question was 
settled ; the challenge was accepted ; the chosen men 
of the Confederacy would meet the flower of the Fries, 
the nation of wild cats, the proud lords of the lake. 

Who, among the many assembled there should be the 
champions of their respective tribes ? How should the 
choice be made ? They were to contend with the redoubted 
Fries in a game of ball. Activity, rather than strength, 
was required, and the personal ambition of no one ought 
to be gratified, unless the reputation of his people should 
be sustained by the choice. It was determined that 
twenty should be taken from each of the Five Nations, 
the selection to be made by a trial of their dexterity at a 
game of ball. But night had come, and another day 
must be taken to complete the arrangements. 

Around the smouldering embers of the council fire that 
night, there was dancing and rejoicing among the young 
warriors. The songs of their victories were rehearsed, and 
the burthen of the chorus which they added, like the spirit 
of prophecy, described their triumph over the Fries. 
The maidens of each nation looked that night with 
more than ordinary pride upon the athletic forms of the 
young men. Fven the Watcher was there, and joined in 
the dance with as much elation as the noblest Mohawk 
among them. Christie too was there, feeling no little in- 
terest in the event, although the Hurons, to which nation 
his mother belonged, had been conquered by the Iroquois,. 


i^HE KING AND THE CEOSS 


267 


and the French, the countrymen of his father, had some- 
times suffered by their treachery or their cruelty, yet 
many of the Hurons had been adopted by them after 
their conquest, and the French on the other hand, were 
endeavouring to propagate the doctrines of their religious 
faith, as well as to extend the authority of the French 
government over their country ; therefore his sympathies 
were with the Iroquois as against any other nation. 

Where all this time, was Father Enrico ? He too was 
there, secretly but not openly sympathizing with the Mo- 
hawks. He dared not oppose them, but like a faithful 
member of his Order was waiting the turn of events to 
exert, to some purpose, his influence in spreading the 
faith, or extending the civil power of France. 

‘^Holy Father,” said he, I would that all these 
youth were so many soldiers enlisted in the army of the 
faithful, to fight the battles of the cross ! How great glory 
would it be, could I lead such a noble band under the 
banners of our Order, and carry the gospel of Christ to 
all the pagan nations of the New World.” 

The next morning the grand council proceeded to dis- 
cuss the manner in which the champions should be se- 
lected. It was advised by the chiefs and the old men, 
that all who chose to volunteer from each of the nations, 
should agree to try their claims by the same test they 
would be obliged to meet with the Eries, a game of ball, 
and the twenty most successful players from each tribe 
should be the chosen ones to uphold the honour of the 
Confederacy. The trial was to be made upon a level 
piece of ground not far from their council fire, and was 
to commence with the Mohawks. The game was to be 


268 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


regulated as nearly as practicable by the same rules as 
the great contest afterwards to be played with their pow- 
erful opponents. Soon all things were made ready and 
the play began. The struggle was long and doubtful and 
one by one the players retired from the ground as they 
missed a throw, or some other act which was made a 
point in the game till but twenty were left. Those who 
held out the longest according to the prescribed rules 
were to be considered as the chosen champions. 

When the number had thus been reduced to the limit de- 
cided upon, it was observed that one of these was the 
Watcher. He had proved himself worthy of the nation by 
which he had been adopted ; and not a little chagrined were 
the native Mohawks when they saw themselves sup- 
planted by a pale face. Nearly the entire day was occu- 
pied in this exciting strife by the Mohawks alone. The 
game was then commenced by the Senecas, the Ononda- 
gas, Cayugas, and Oneidas following in turn, so that 
three days elapsed before the champions were finally 
chosen. With all the sport had been most animating, 
and the only regret among them was, that every one could 
not take part in the supreme contest which was to come. 

When the whole number of one hundred was finally 
completed, an old and experienced chief was selected to 
be the leader of the expedition, and to see that, in the 
hot blood of youth and ambition no outrages or excesses 
should be committed by the chosen band, either in their 
march to the place of meeting, or during their continu- 
ance in the neighbourhood of the Eries. 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


269 


CHAPTER XVIII 

'T^HE place of meeting proposed by the Eries and ac- 
cepted by the Iroquois, was at the foot of Lake 
Erie upon the open ground bordering upon its beau- 
tiful waters. The day of the departure of the Iro- 
quois had come, and many of the old warriors of the 
respective nations had assembled to see the departure of 
the favoured men upon their journey. Enrico had 
sought and received permission to accompany them, 
partly as a companion and partly to aid them in explain- 
ing to the natives any conferences he might hold with 
them. Christie, the interpreter, was to go also ; for the 
ambitious priest intended to make use of the opportunity 
thus presented to perform the office of a missionary to 
some of the more distant tribes. His first thoughts were 
always given to the extension of the Faith, and the next 
to the teaching of the power and glory of the king. 

Never in the days of chivalry, were gathered together 
a hundred knights of finer or more athletic forms and 
more dignified bearing than these chosen youths, the 
flower of the Iroquois Confederacy. More than one 
dusky maiden looked with fond admiration upon her 
lover that day ; and as these braves regarded the reputa- 
tion of their race, and the smiles of these sylphs of the 
woods, they were strong in the determination of bring- 
ing back with them the trophies of their victory over 
the Eries. Yet grave fears were felt by many that 
disagreements might grow out of the contest bringing 
misfortune in their train. 


270 


THE Kim Am THE CROSS 


The old men had seen and felt the dreadful ravages of 
war; age had somewhat cooled the fire of their youth, 
and they desired rest as well as peace. Still, now that 
the decisive step was to be taken, they would have the 
young men sustain the honour of their fathers. No one 
must yield ingloriously to the enemies of his nation. 

While it was the special duty of the appointed leader 
to guide and govern the one hundred warriors on their 
way, yet any others who desired to do so, were at 
liberty to accompany the expedition. The greater the 
number assembled, the more showy the feats to be 
performed, and the pleasure of the triumph would be 
greatly enhanced. 

The fires of the recent council had been buried but 
not extinguished. From beneath a mass of dead embers 
were raked the living and still glowing coals which were 
cherished as the natal fires of the Iroquois. Strong 
hands and honest hearts were not wanting to protect the 
sacred flame, and a breath could, at any time, sweep 
away the shroud of whitened ashes that enveloped it, 
and revivify its expiring light. 

“ Be watchful,” said the aged chief of the Onondagas, 
who was to remain for the protection of the women and 
children, ‘‘lest you stir up the anger of the Fries, for 
anger will create resentment on your part, and resent- 
ment may lead to the shedding of blood.” 

The chief of the Senecas renewed what he had before 
said in council, and Father Enrico promised the Onon- 
daga that all his powers should be exerted to preserve 
harmony among the members of the party. The Indians 
having made an offering to the Great Spirit for success 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


271 


in the coming contest, set out with all the regularity of a 
savage army going forth for the conquest of a neigh- 
bouring nation. 

From the Onondaga castle to the foot of Lake Erie 
was several days’ journey. But few from any of the 
Confederacy besides the chosen players set out with 
them, except the Onondagas and the Oneidas who were 
near by. The Cayugas and the Senecas would fall in 
by the way, and the multitude would increase by its mo- 
tion. Proudly they went forth with all the barbaric 
regalia of a holiday festival. It is not necessary to give a 
particular description of their march ; of their halts by 
day, and their bivouacs by night. Traveling as they 
were through their own country, they could not meet 
with any surprise from an enemy, and no- particular in- 
cidents would be likely to mark their way. 

Towards the close of the third day of their march, 
they came upon the signs of an Indian trail, indicating 
that a small party had passed in a direction nearly 
at right angles with the course they were pursuing. This 
was a circumstance they could not comprehend. It is 
not usual for the experienced warrior or hunter to leave 
anything unexplained in the signs he discovers in field or 
forest. The least token that can be seen in the woods, a 
broken twig, or rush or a weed borne down by the 
tread, becomes at once a subject of deep study to the 
savage. Not even Champollion amid the ruins of Egypt, 
ever looked with more curiosity or interest upon the 
mysterious characters traced upon the monuments of 
former ages, than did this band of Iroquois upon those 
signs which, though they might be perfectly un Intel- 


272 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


ligible to others, were capable of being easily understood 
by them. It might be totally unimportant, and they 
might move on without the least apprehension of danger 
from an unseen foe. But this was not according to their 
custom. 

They were now within a few miles of their place 
of destination, and the trail they had just seen might be 
that of a party of Eries, whose coming in this manner 
might bode either good or ill. Their reputation for 
keenness and discernment would not allow them to pro- 
ceed without making a more minute examination. A 
halt was called, and a small detachment was ordered by 
their leader to follow it up for the purpose of discovery. 

“We have had warning,” said Fire-heart, “of the 
treachery of the Eries, and we must be on our guard. 
Some of their braves may be trying to gain our rear for 
the purpose of ascertaining our numbers, or they may 
have gone to inform the main body of the Eries who 
have stationed themselves near by to keep watch of our 
approach, and there is danger of an attack in our rear 
before we are aware.” 

The trail was carefully followed. After leading over a 
small hill of sufficient elevation to conceal those behind 
it entirely from view, it took a wide sweep of a mile or 
two round and again struck the path by which the 
Iroquois had come a short distance behind them. The 
scouting party consisted of some half-dozen Eries who 
had been sent out from the encampment which was al- 
ready located on the spot selected for the game. It was 
undoubtedly the intention of the scouts to continue their 
course till they had passed quite around the Iroquois, 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


27^ 


and so completing the circle until they had reached the 
point from which they had set out. In this they were 
circumvented by being overtaken by the alert Iroquois 
who had been sent in pursuit, when they quietly returned 
with them to the presence of Fire-heart. 

‘‘Would the Fries cheat the Iroquois, serpents that 
they are? ” wrathfully asked the Mohawk leader. “We 
are not blind that we cannot see, and we are never caught 
asleep. Where are the rest of the Cats ? ” 

One of the Fries answered that “ they had encamped the 
day before on the spot at the foot of the lake where it 
was expected the game would take place. Seeing noth- 
ing of the Iroquois they had been sent out to ascertain if 
they were coming, and when they saw them approaching 
had turned aside for the purpose of allowing them to 
pass by ; after this they had intended to return by a 
shorter route to the camp.” This plausible explanation 
seemed entirely satisfactory to the Mohawks, and a cir- 
cumstance which was at first looked upon with some de- 
gree of suspicion as likely to excite jealousy between the 
parties, was found to be most harmless. 

The day had now nearly drawn to a close. It had 
been the intention of the chief to approach the camp of 
the Fries with something of a display, and he therefore 
determined to encamp for the night and on the morrow 
to march forth in imposing array. 

“ Go you back to your chief,” said Fire-heart, “and 
tell him that the Iroquois rest here around their own fires 
to-night, and that in the morning they will meet the 
Fries.” With a motion of his hand, which to them in- 
dicated the height of the sun, the hour of the day the 


274 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Iroquois might be expected, he dismissed the Eries who 
silently withdrew. 

Although no danger was apprehended by the Iroquois, 
yet as a measure partly of caution, and especially of 
discipline which they always kept up when on a march, 
a watch was set, and soon the rest of the party were 
locked in the embrace of sleep. No songs were heard 
around their fire that night ; for all their power of boast- 
ing and spirit of rejoicing were bound up in the hope of 
triumph over their proud competitors, only to be let loose 
should the issue of the contest be successful. 

The heart of Father Enrico, alone of that strange 
company, was filled with different emotions. He relied 
upon the cross as the weapon of his faith, and among 
the busy shapes that came thronging into his mind in his 
imperfect sleep, were dreams of red men kneeling before 
him in token of the abandonment of their own pagan 
rites, and of their reception of the gospel of Christ. Others 
again he saw receiving the sacrament of baptism, and some 
in the agonies of death begging at his hands the conse- 
crated wafer, asking from his lips absolution of their sins. 

Daylight banished all these visions from the mind of 
Enrico, but there was seen by him as with the eye of 
faith, in his spiritual horizon, the glorious bow of 
promise and of hope. All was activity in the camp of 
the Iroquois. All must appear in their holiday dresses and 
ornaments ; chief, warrior and young brave must put on 
their tallest plumes, and venerable women and bright 
eyed maidens must wear their beaded moccasins ; the 
choicest embroidery of porcupine quills, and head-gear 
of the gayest plumage of birds. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


275 


Thus carefully appareled, the faces of the hundred 
chosen men being painted with all kinds of fantastic 
colours, the party moved forward in time to reach the 
place appointed. As they slowly rose to the top of the 
hill overlooking the broad expanse of the lake, they saw 
resting near its borders the encampment of the Eries, 
and as the Iroquois were recognized by them, the air was 
rent by savage shouts ; joyously they wound their way 
down the hill, shout answering to shout, till they entered 
the opening lines of the Eries who had been drawn up in 
order to receive them. 

<‘We welcome you, brothers,” said Blacksnake, the 
head chief of the Eries, “to our camp. We have 
heard much of the fame and prowess of the Iro- 
quois, and we would have our young men meet yours 
in a friendly contest to know if what we have heard be 
true.” 

“We have heard much too of our brothers the Eries,” 
said Fire-heart, “ and we have allowed our youthful war- 
riors to accept your invitation, because we wish to 
strengthen the bonds of peace between us. We will sit 
down on your blankets ; we will smoke the pipe of peace 
with you j we will be friends.” 

“The sun shines brightly on the Eries and the 
Iroquois,” rejoined the chief; “ we are friends ; we will 
enjoy our sports in peace ; and when you are ready to 
return to your homes, we will cover your feet with moc- 
casins that they be not torn by the way.” 

The remainder of the day was given up to feasting and 
merriment. Each of the parties who would be engaged 
in the contest the next day, surveyed with anxious eyes 


276 


THE KING AND THE CB0S8 


the athletic forms of the other, as if by some mental proc- 
ess they could measure each other’s strength and ac- 
tivity. Father Enrico was meanwhile busy exhibiting 
a few crosses and images of the saints he had brought 
with him, and explaining to the Eries some of the sim- 
pler doctrines of Christianity. He showed one cut in 
ivory representing the crucifixion ; this attracted great 
attention ; and when he had, through the interpreter, 
told them something of the life and death of Christ, their 
curiosity, as well as their admiration, was deeply excited. 
They listened to the story with the most intense interest, 
as though it was the romantic adventures of one of their 
own heroic chiefs. Those of the tribe who saw the beautiful 
object and heard the wonderful narrative, authenticated, 
as in some measure it seemed to be by coming through 
the lips of Christie, went and brought others of their 
nation to hear the same mysterious tale, stirring their im- 
aginations as with the wildest stories of enchantment. 

The priest soon saw that he had made a deep impres- 
sion upon the minds of the untutored red men, and his 
own enthusiasm was kindled as well as theirs. He could 
not lose the opportunity of making the most out of the 
incidents of the day, and therefore did not always con- 
fine himself to the simple narrations of Scripture. 

“ Christ was a great chief,” said he, “ and ruled over 
a wicked and rebellious people. Though they rose up 
against him, putting him to death, yet they were unable 
to conquer. For when they had buried him, rolling 
a great stone over the grave, so big that it would require 
a multitude of men to remove it ; making it so secure 
that the strongest man among the Eries or the Mohawks 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


277 


could not have escaped had he been alive, some power- 
ful Spirit or Manitou came in the night and rolled away 
the stone, and the next day he again appeared to those 
who loved him, speaking with them. After this he went 
up into the skies, where he is still the Chief and King of 
all the good, both white men and red men.’’ 

The Eries were astonished and almost confounded at 
the narrations of the Jesuit, and they asked if the chief 
he worshipped had ever achieved any great victories over 
his enemies. Father Enrico feared to disappoint the 
expectations of his highly wrought auditors, for he well 
knew they would have no faith in a chief who had not 
performed some prodigies of valour. 

<< He has fought with all the world who dared to con- 
tend with him,” replied the priest, ‘‘and has conquered 
them all. He has even overcome Death, and is able to 
subdue the Evil One himself.” 

The savages are best able to comprehend the magni- 
tude of a victory by the trophies which are borne from 
the field, and Blacksnake asked of Father Enrico if his 
great chief bore off the scalps of his victims. 

The Jesuit was here pressed more closely than he had 
expected, and hesitated before giving an answer to this 
question, but fearing lest the effect of his former teachings 
would be lost if he failed to keep up the interest of the 
narrative in the minds of his pagan hearers, he adroitly 
avoided a direct response and replied, “ that modes of 
warfare vary with different nations. Suffice it to say that 
Christ in his short, earthly life overcame thousands of 
men and women. ’ ’ 

With this declaration of Enrico, the Eries seemed to be 


278 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


satisfied. Blacksnake then began to recount his own ex- 
ploits and those of his people in the bloody task of taking 
the scalps of their foes, describing, with a motion peculiar 
to the experienced savage, the terrible process of severing 
them from the head, till for once at least the priest trem- 
bled lest he had unwittingly roused into action a long 
cherished, but now dormant passion of the Indians, and 
involuntarily he raised his hand to his head, as if to 
assure himself it had not been mutilated by the knife of 
the savage. 

The Eries laughed when they saw the motion, which 
they knew originated in fear. Enrico had the good judg- 
ment to join in the merriment created at his expense, and 
finding they were all left in excellent humour by the 
incident, he seized the favourable moment to turn the 
conversation to the sports of the coming day. 


CHAPTER XIX 


HE morning dawned propitiously on the combined 



A assemblages of the Eries and Mohawks. Scarcely 
had the sun risen, when they who were the representatives 
of the chivalry of the two nations began to prepare for the 
all-absorbing contest, and more care was taken by the 
Iroquois in painting their faces and portions of their bodies 
with every species of grotesque figure and curious device 
than for their entry on the preceding day. Their cloth- 
ing consisted of a simple girdle around their loins ; the 
rude mantle made of the skins of wild beasts, or the 
coarse blanket which had been obtained through com- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


279 


merce with the Europeans, was laid aside as being a use- 
less incumbrance. A few feathers from the wing of the 
eagle, or some other wild bird, sometimes of their natural 
colour, and sometimes dyed a beautiful vermilion, made 
the simple yet showy ornaments of the savage competi- 
tors. Even the Watcher was so metamorphosed as to 
strongly resemble a native Mohawk. 

The adornments of the Eries varied but little from 
those of their opponents. Certain rules had been agreed 
upon between the chiefs of the respective parties, and 
when all was in readiness the contestants were drawn up 
in line and confronted with each other, to see that none 
of the conditions had been violated. The chiefs then 
passed before them, narrowly inspecting the appearance 
of every man. The eye of Blacksnake was quick and 
penetrating, and when he came to the Watcher, he saw 
in a moment that the features of a white youth were vis- 
ible through the mask of paint that covered his face. 
Suddenly, and with indignation he turned to the Mohawk 
chief, for he thought a cheat had been attempted by him. 

“ The Eries promised to play with Iroquois ; they no 
promised to play with pale face,” said he with intense 
earnestness, almost with anger. Has not Iroquois chief 
red men enough that he must have a white skin ? ” 

Fire-heart admitted that the Watcher was one of those 
chosen, but he declared that he had been regularly 
adopted into the Mohawk tribe, and therefore was entitled 
to all the privileges of those who were native born, and 
that the selection of those taking part had been made by 
his own people according to their merit ; consequently he 
thought the Eries ought to make no objection. 


280 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


Blacksnake seemed to hesitate what reply to make to 
this explanation of the Mohawk, when a voice was heard 
from one who had not before spoken. It was that of a 
young brave of the Eries, called by them from the swift 
and sweeping motion with which he swung his club, the 
Hawk. ‘‘What!” he exclaimed. “Shall we who are 
not afraid to encounter the Senecas and the Mohawks, 
be unwilling to match ourselves against a pale face ? If 
we fear the white boy now, what shall we do when we 
come to contend against the Iroquois themselves? ” 

The Hawk was himself one of the number selected by 
the Eries, and what he had said at once decided the 
question. All the rest of the line were carefully looked 
over, and all seemed to be properly equipped for the 
contest. The gathering was unlike any other collection of 
rival natives ever seen. It neither partook of the charac- 
ter of a civil festival, nor of a military expedition ; still 
less was it different from the solemn and stately appear- 
ance of a council composed of two dissimilar nations. 
They had neither the hostile weapons which betoken the 
coming strife of battle, nor the gay accompaniments that 
indicate the approaching feast ; neither the rich gifts of 
wampum which are offered as pledges of the sincerity of 
a treaty about to be formed between two independent 
peoples. Each man bore as a badge of the part he in- 
tended to play, a bat or club of sufficient length to 
require the use of both hands so as to give an effective 
blow. This club had at the end a bow which was inter- 
woven with leather thongs like basket-work. It was with 
this that the ball was to be struck, and sometimes carried 
on it, the club being borne in a horizontal position, but 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


281 


it was one of the rules of the game that the ball was not 
to be touched with the hand. 

Some of these clubs were tastefully ornamented by be- 
ing painted with all the variety of colours that the skill of 
the savage is able to produce, and many were ingen- 
iously wrought, the figures carved upon them in a kind of 
bas-relief, giving evidence of much ingenuity and taste. 
In most cases the head of some bird or beast was rudely 
sculptured upon the end of it, indicating an artistic sense 
most creditable to so rude a people. 

It will be remembered that the locality where the parties 
met was at the foot of Lake Erie, at or very near the 
spot where the city of Buffalo now stands, and which 
was called by the Indians Tu-shu-way, or To-se-o-way, a 
name which probably had some reference to the large 
quantity of basswood growing in the immediate vicinity. 
The modern name, it may fairly be presumed, was given 
the locality by the aborigines from the circumstance that 
the buffalo, before they were exterminated and driven 
away by the Indian hunters east of the Mississippi, once 
roamed through the immense forests of Western New 
York, and, according to a tradition among the natives 
relating to them, were supposed to have frequented a 
saline spring in the vicinity of the present city. 

Scarcely could the Indian hunter then have dreamed 
of the change which would be wrought by time on the 
borders of Lake Erie. The birch canoe has given place 
to the stately steamer and the countless sails of commerce. 
The red men themselves, once the lords of a magnificent 
domain, have faded away before the more highly civi- 
lized and energetic Anglo-Saxon race. Where then stood 


282 


THE KING AND THE CliOSS 


a primeval forest whose glades echoed only the cry of the 
wild beast, or the voice of the savage, the hum of a popu- 
lous, busy city now falls upon the ear. The implements 
of the mechanic and a thousand teeming industries have 
taken the place of the weapons of warfare, and the rude 
cabin of the red men has been succeeded by princely 
dwellings, splendid churches, and architectural marvels. 
All is changed ; the past is rapidly receding from the 
present, and the present is to be overrun by the onward 
rushing of the future. 

The Iroquois, as the challenged party, seemed by 
courtesy, rather than by rule, to have the right to pro- 
pose the stakes or wagers for which the game was to be 
played. Their chief brought forward many curious belts 
of wampum, rich furs, tastefully embroidered moccasins, 
and a great variety of rude implements and barbaric 
ornaments, each of which was matched by the Eries, as 
near as might be, with articles of equal value, all of 
which were deposited in one common heap, there to re- 
main until the game should be decided. When all these 
had been laid down, a beautiful bow and a quiver orna- 
mented with the quills of the porcupine, filled with 
arrows tipped with the bones of fish, were brought for- 
ward. To match these the chief of the Eries was obliged 
to part with his own much prized bow and quiver of 
arrows, for none other were worthy to be placed by the 
side of those which had been brought by the leader of 
the Iroquois. The eagerness they felt to engage in the 
contest, was manifested by the willingness they showed to 
increase the amount of the wager, while the Eries acted 
with equal promptness in covering whatever was offered. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


283 


The arrangements were on a scale more than usually 
magnificent. One hundred players on a side was a large 
number, and it could hardly be supposed that all could 
be engaged at the same time. The place chosen was 
near the shore of the lake, and had doubtless at some 
former time been covered by its w^aters, but by the up- 
heaving of the earth, or by the gradual recession of the 
waters, it became dry land, and at this period was richly 
covered with grass, though not of so luxuriant a growth 
as to produce any inconvenience. 

The players were divided into several sections of equal 
numbers, one of which on each side was to commence 
the game ; each party having leave to exchange or relieve 
one set of men by the introduction of another as often 
as they pleased until the sport was concluded. 

The large area of open ground was divided into two 
equal parts, a line plainly visible being drawn in the 
centre. Here the contestants were to assemble, the 
Eries on the south of the line, and the Iroquois on the 
north, each one holding in his hand the club before de- 
scribed. At the northern and southern limits of the 
ground, a rude fence had been constructed by interweaving 
small poles or the branches of trees with stakes set at short 
distances from each other, making a kind of wicker work 
beyond which the parties were not to pass during the game, 
and which might also serve to stop the ball. For one side 
to drive it to the opposite end of the field when resisted by 
the other, was a point gained, and the ones who should 
first do this a certain number of times would be the 
victors. 

At the commencement, the ball was to be thrown by 


m 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


an indifferent person from the centre of the space de- 
fined perpendicularly into the air, and he who could, 
might give it the first blow ; but on no account was it to 
be touched by the hand, except when a point had been 
scored, when it was to be again returned to the middle 
of the field. 

Great care was taken to guard against any disagree- 
ment between the parties, and one from each nation was 
stationed at each extremity of the area described, who, 
in all cases of doubt were to decide whether a ball 
should count. Father Enrico, Christie the interpreter, 
and one of the Eries, were to be placed near the centre 
with tally sticks to count the game. 

This play, being for a large wager was a kind of 
gambling as injurious in its consequences, so far as losses 
were concerned, as the gaming of more civilized society ; 
for it often happened that everything the savage possessed 
on earth, sometimes even his own personal liberty, was 
staked upon the result of a single game, it might be one 
of mere chance, or of skill and dexterity. It would have 
seemed that Father Enrico should have been bound by 
the religion he professed, to dissuade them from staking 
so much of what they regarded as constituting their 
wealth upon the hazard of a game, which after all might 
be gained simply by the good fortune or luck of one side 
as against the other. But the priest had the quickness 
and sagacity to perceive that in this they were not to be 
controlled, and that the surest way to gain their confi- 
dence was, to accommodate himself, as far as he could, 
to their customs and their superstitions. If he could not 
suppress what he considered to be wrong, at least he 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


285 


might strive to give it a harmless direction, and to pre- 
vent excesses. It was with this view he acted, and 
this was the doctrine of the Order to which he be- 
longed. 

When all things were ready and the players had as- 
sumed their stations, a ball was brought forward, about 
the size of the modern playing ball which is thrown and 
caught by the hand, and, while the eyes of every one 
were intently fixed upon the next move, it was thrown 
high in the air. The Mohawks being stationed on 
the north side of the line, it was their aim to drive the 
sphere to the southern bound, while it was that of the 
Eries to keep it back and force it to the northern extrem- 
ity. If either party could trip up the other or push him 
aside in the race, it was regarded as fair play, and was in- 
deed a part of the diversion. 

When the ball had descended within the reach of the 
clubs, it was first struck by one of the Iroquois and sent 
far into the territory occupied by the Eries, who pursued 
it with might and main followed by half of the Iroquois ; 
while it was yet sailing in the air, it was arrested by a 
blow from the club of one of the Eries, and was seen 
sailing away in the opposite direction, towards which 
there was again a general scamper, and in the crowd the 
ball fell to the earth without receiving a blow from either 
party. 

Now began a struggle for it as novel as it was exciting. 
As it could not be touched by the hand, it must in some 
way be raised into the air by the club ; and if the reader 
can imagine a gathering of fifty men all making an attack 
at the same moment upon a single field-mouse with rakes, 


286 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


hoes and pitchforks, he will get some idea of the tussle 
that ensued. One now has it upon the network of his 
club, and is speeding away with all his power of motion 
to gain space enough to give it a blow. He is one of the 
Mohawks, and has succeeded in giving it a gentle toss in 
the air so that he can make it feel the full force of a pow- 
erful strike, when, as suddenly as a flash of lightning 
another club is between his and the ball, and away it is 
flying with the speed of a bullet towards the northern 
bound. 

He who had at the critical moment surpassed his op- 
ponent was the- Hawk, one of the swiftest of the Eries. 
The ball again fell to the ground, and the same scene ensued 
as before, but it was finally raised, and after a supreme 
effort was once more put in motion and driven to the 
northern bound, and one was tallied against the Iroquois. 

It was now manifest that the Hawk was the champion 
of the Eries, and that more was to be feared from his 
alertness than from any other five men of the tribe. 
Among the Iroquois were many active ones who coveted 
another opportunity to measure their own skill against 
that of the Hawk. There was one especially whose am- 
bition was mingled almost with a feeling of anger. This 
was the Watcher. He had heard the Hawk sneer at the 
idea that any one of the Eries should fear to encounter a 
white skin, and he determined not only to establish the 
credit of his colour, but to sustain also the reputation of 
the race by whom he had been adopted. He had seen 
the Hawk, with a motion quick as the stroke of a swal- 
low’s wing, take the ball from before the club of his an- 
tagonist, when he thought no one was in reach of it but 


THE EING AND THE CE0S8 


287 


himself, and he resolved to match his own powers against 
those of the gallant Erie. 

The parties again return to the centre of the ground, 
and once more the ball is thrown in the air. It is at 
once driven into the southern side of the line, and one of 
the nimble Iroquois has it on his club. Thinking he has 
room enough to give it a powerful stroke, he makes the 
attempt, when the Hawk who is at his heels makes the 
same movement to recover it as before. This time he is 
not successful, for the Watcher is there too ; with a mo- 
tion that equals that of his rival in quickness, he strikes 
aside the club of the active and accomplished Erie, and 
the blow of the Iroquois being a fortunate one, a tally 
was now counted for their side. 

The game was continued with great spirit for nearly 
the whole day, the chances of success varying alternately 
from one side to the other. At midday the Eries had 
gained several tallies over the Iroquois, and their hopes 
of a favourable result were high ; towards the close of 
the day they had two to make to win the game, while the 
Iroquois required but one. The two next throws would 
probably decide the contest, and perhaps even the first ; 
it could certainly take but three. 

Since the hard struggle between the Hawk and the 
Watcher, others on each side had shown equal activity. 
The next throw therefore was one of greater interest than 
any that had preceded it, for the trial was fast narrowing 
down and would soon come to a close. After a long 
strife the Eries won, and having now tied their opponents 
were only one short of the game. Another round would 
decide the issue, and the interest of the entire day was 


288 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS 


compressed into this single effort. No rest was taken, for 
twilight was rapidly approaching, and the final struggle 
would be hard. 

This last attempt began much in the same manner as 
those already depicted. Many times did the ball cross 
the line one way and the other, alternately impelled and 
resisted, each one of the players disputing the field inch 
by inch. Oft and anon was the ball upon the ground 
when a terrible scuffle ensued for its possession. The al- 
most naked forms of the savages made it difflcult for one 
to do much by seizing hold of another, for it was impos- 
sible long to retain a grasp. 

The last desperate struggle to get the ball occurred on 
the northern portion of the field, at a moment when the 
Eries had almost won out. But their adversaries had 
succeeded in bringing the ball to ground when they saw 
the chances were against them, and now it was futile to 
guess at the result. It was not easy to obtain a blow at 
the sphere, and harder still to tell the direction it would 
take, so often was it met by opposing strokes, and turned 
in so many different directions. Finally it was thrown 
out from the cluster of players, each of whom was striv- 
ing for its possession, and the Hawk, who was the first 
one to reach it succeeded in landing it on his bat, mak- 
ing a mighty effort to widen the space between him and 
the others, so that he could give it a throw, when his 
club was violently struck by the Watcher, and the ball 
sent almost perpendicularly into the air. Before the 
Hawk could see the direction it had taken, it came 
within reach of the Watcher who gave it such a stroke 
that it was sent across the centre line. 


THE KINO AND THE CBOSS 289 

The Iroquois seeing the advantage they had gained, 
urged themselves to the utmost speed of which human 
muscles are capable, and by a succession of lucky blows, 
the last and winning one of which was given by the 
Watcher, the ball was sent to the southern bound, and 
the victory was given to the Iroquois. 

Loud and long were the shouts and rejoicings of the 
victors. But the Eries almost sunk under exhaustion 
and disappointment at their unexpected defeat. The 
game, however, was declared to have been fairly won, 
and the stakes were delivered to the champions. The 
Watcher had that day by his dexterity, more and more 
endeared himself to the Mohawks, and even to all of the 
Confederacy. They gathered around him, yielding to 
him the principal honour of achieving the victory, and in 
that hour of triumph there was no other pale face near to 
envy him the laurels he had gained. 

For a brief period the two opposing parties were 
separated from one another, each discussing among them^ 
selves the stirring events of the day. Night had come, 
and the camp-fires of the Eries and Iroquois were blazing 
but a short distance apart. Having accomplished the 
purpose of their visit, it was the intention of the visitors 
to set out on the return journey to their homes early on 
the following morning. Meantime they were making 
merry around their fire when they were interrupted by 
the approach of Blacksnake, the redoubtable leader of the 
Eries. 

‘^The Iroquois are brave men,” said he; ^Hhey have 
beaten our chosen men, and we cannot complain. White 
skin is good as red skin ; pale face has the wit of the 


2d0 


TBE BING AND THE CROSS 


Indian; he is as quick as Mohawk,” pointing as he spoke 
to the Watcher. 

*‘It is a great honour to the Mohawks,” replied Fire- 
heart speaking' as the other had done in the Indian 
tongue, ‘‘to have beaten a force so active and brave as 
the Fries. The Iroquois will now love their brothers 
more than before. We have been at peace. Let us 
remain so. Our affections will be sharpened by our 
friendly strife. When we meet again, it may be the 
Fries will beat their brothers the Iroquois.” 

Blacksnake felt complimented by the cordial manner in 
which he was received by the Mohawk chief, and the 
feeling of mortification at their defeat which had at first 
taken possession of him, was now giving way to the pride 
he felt for the gallantry of his own people. The contest 
had been a spirited one, and though the ultimate result 
had been decided by very trifling odds, still it was fairly 
done. This was admitted by the chief, but he said his 
young men desired another trial with the Iroquois of a 
different kind. They proposed that ten of their youthful 
braves should be selected to run a foot-race against the 
same number of the Iroquois. To this Fire-heart and the 
other warriors assented, with the agreement that the race 
should take place the following day. Blacksnake then 
stated that something should be put up as a wager, which 
the Fries would be able to match, having a due regard to 
the fact that most of their effects had already been won 
from them. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


291 


CHAPTER XX 



HE young Iroquois received with delight the propo- 


* sition for the race. They had beaten in the game 
of ball, and the trophies of that victory but whetted their 
appetite for something more. The ten men should be 
selected solely with reference to success, but it was not 
practicable to subject them to the test of experiment on 
account of the shortness of time; besides, they did not 
wish the Eries to think they felt any particular anxiety 
about the result. 

The chief therefore decided to choose twenty youths 
from those who had participated in the game just played, 
and from these ten were drawn out by lot, among whom 
was the Watcher. All this was accomplished before they 
went to sleep that night, and the prizes to be contended 
for became the topic of discussion. The wampum of the 
Eries had been nearly exhausted, as well as most of their 
bows and arrows, and it would be ungenerous in the 
Iroquois to propose what they had reason to believe could 
not be matched by their opponents. 

The camp-fire meanwhile had burned down to a heap 
of ashes, and one by one these dusky children of the 
forest fell into the arms of sleep. Their slumbers were 
not broken till daylight appeared, and, even then, the 
Iroquois were aroused in the midst of dreams of victory 
and the spoils of the vanquished, by the shrill voice of 
the Watcher ; for it was rare that the pale face was found 
asleep by any of his red brethren. 


292 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


It was proposed by the Iroquois that the ten chosen 
men of the Eries should meet their competitors, and the 
conditions be arranged between them at that time. This 
was at once agreed to, and the parties confronted each 
other. The young men were now to speak for them- 
selves. 

“We have decided,” said Lightfoot, one of the 
Mohawks, “to propose to our brothers the Eries, that 
they bring before us all of their young women, and 
that each one of us choose one from the number ; then 
each of the Eries shall select from the Iroquois maidens, 
ten who shall stand as pledges for the fulfillment of the 
conditions of the game ; which are, that he who runs the 
best of all shall be allowed to carry off as a prize any 
one of the chosen ten to become his wife.” 

This proposition so new and unexpected was not 
unpleasing to the Eries ; still they felt that the old men, 
and young women themselves ought to be consulted upon 
a subject which would possibly involve the liberty of one 
at least of their people. 

“For ourselves,” said the Hawk, “we are satisfied with 
the terms, for should we lose, one of our maidens would 
gain a home among a brave and generous people, and her 
abode among them might do much to strengthen the bonds 
of peace between us. We will go and counsel with our 
chiefs, and bring our brothers word.” 

The little band of Eries returned to their camp-fires and 
laid before their people the proposition just made them. 
All were assembled, old experienced warriors and young 
braves, their wives and their daughters, for each one took 
a deep interest in the credit of his nation and was anxious 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


293 


to settle all the preliminaries of the game. There were 
many typical Indian beauties among the Erie women, and 
Blacksnake their chief looked inquiringly upon them as 
they turned their eyes towards the ten chosen Iroquois 
who stood at a considerable distance, but yet within view. 

‘‘You must accept any terms that are proposed,” said 
the chief, “ even to the loss of your lives if need be. As 
we have given the challenge, we must not fear the result. 
The greater the wager, the harder you must strive to gain 
the victory. Some of you love one among these daughters 
of the forest as dearly as your own lives, and you must 
remember that you will not only lose the chosen one if 
you are vanquished in the race, but that she may become 
the bride of one of your conquerors.” 

When the chief had finished, there were glances be- 
tween some of the young men and women of the Eries, 
telling but too plainly of hopes that might be blasted by 
the events of that day. All had equal attachments to 
the homes and the associations of their fathers, and 
should their young braves fail of success over the Iro- 
quois, the ties of affection that bound at least one of these 
maidens to her kindred might be sundered forever. 

Like enemies in war, the Eries were in a position from 
which they could not escape without overcoming their 
adversaries; and so the ten returned to the Iroquois 
bearing the answer that their proposition should be com- 
plied with. 

After the space of half an hour, the youthful Indian 
women of the Eries having decorated themselves with 
their choicest feathers and gayest moccasins, some of 
them adding to their adornments a graceful garment of 


294 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 


rich fur, part of which hung carelessly over one shoulder, 
the other portion being confined at the waist by a belt of 
wampum, made their appearance before the camp of the 
Iroquois. They passed in review before the ten who 
were to contend with those of their own nation. One by 
one each man made choice of the maiden that looked the 
fairest in his eyes, and it would be difficult to say whether 
some of those Indian girls did not from that moment, 
secretly hope that the victory would be against their own 
people. 

The Watcher was the last to make his selection, and 
he chose a slight, willowy girl with raven tresses, whose 
keen eye might have pierced even darkness itself. She 
had been passed over by every Iroquois for one of larger 
frame and more lofty bearing, but the Watcher had seen 
and admired her steady and unflinching gaze, the grace 
of her movements, and the glossy tresses that lightly fell 
over her shoulders, and from that moment she had been 
his favourite among them all. 

Nearly in like manner, did the ten Eries select an equal 
number of the Iroquois maidens, chiefly however from the 
Seneca and the Mohawk nations, as they were considered 
the two noblest ones of the Confederacy. The day was 
fully half gone before everything was in readiness to be- 
gin the race. It was to take place upon the same belt of 
open ground on the margin of the lake where the game 
of ball had been played. Each one of the runners now 
disencumbers himself of all apparel save the girdle about 
his loins and a light pair of moccasins. The paint being 
renewed upon his face and a feather or two stuck in his 
hair, he was ready for the struggle. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


295 


The ground over which they were to run — being nearly 
a mile long — was not altogether free from obstructions, 
but they were no terror in the eyes of the savage. The 
direction was not straight, but curving somewhat inwards 
towards the water, to accommodate itself to the natural 
bend of the shore. Some of the two contending nations 
were to be stationed at one end of the course to see that 
the race was fairly commenced, while others were to be 
at the goal to decide who came out first, the greater num- 
ber of Indians being scattered along the line choosing 
such positions as suited them best. The race was to be 
determined in favour of the party, of which three men 
should first reach the winning post, rather than upon 
the single runner who should be first to attain the desired 
point. The principal chiefs of the Iroquois and the 
Eries were to station themselves at the end of the course, 
and when one of their own men came out to count audibly, 
one, two, three, and he who should first call three of his 
own runners, was to declare his own party the victors. 
In case of dispute arising the matter was to be referred 
to Father Enrico, and Christie the interpreter, as sole 
judges. 

Thus prepared, with the silence of the primeval woods 
on the one hand, broken only by the gentle breeze rustling 
the leaves of the mighty trees, every movement a music 
note whispering lightly of peace, and on the other, the 
waves of the great inland sea telling more loudly of their 
hidden power, stood the chivalrous competitors of two 
proud nations, one of which has long since perished from 
off the face of the earth, while the other is still lingering 
as a glorious remnant of a race, with the elements of 


296 


TEE KING AND TEE CROSS 


whose character was mingled more that was eloquent in 
words, wise in council and heroic in action, than any 
other of the aborigines of this continent. Then began a 
struggle which was pregnant of tremendous results to 
them both. 

The position occupied by the leaders of the two 
parties was such, that owing to the curvature of the 
ground towards the lake they could see the runners not 
only when they started but throughout the whole distance. 
All being ready, the signal was given and the race begun. 
For the first half of the course there was not any per- 
ceptible advantage obtained by either side, but as they 
drew nearer, the space between them began to widen, and 
the forms of the competitors grew more distinct, so as to 
be easily recognized by the friends of each. 

<‘By St. Peter,” said Father Enrico, ^‘the Eries are 
ahead, but the pale face is not far behind ! ” 

Iroquois beat in playing ball — Eries run the best,” 
said Blacksnake, in a tone of exultation. 

Long way to the goal yet, Iroquois good wind, and 
no tire,” said Fire-heart. 

Who is that one who seems to be before all the others ? 
'Tis one of the Eries, who, from his fleetness of foot is 
known among his nation by a name which in English sig- 
nifies “The Deer.” His motion is one of successive 
leaps and bounds, and he appears to distance all the 
others. But the race is not always to the swift, and there 
are many obstructions in the way. These may be over- 
leaped, or the runners may pass around them, as they 
shall deem best for themselves. The chances may yet 
turn in favour of those who seem, so far, to be outstripped. 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


297 


Perhaps they may be reserving their strength for a mighty 
effort at the close. 

The spectators are now breathless from the intensity of 
their watching ; the runners having already passed over 
half of the ground, are fairly bending with the exertions 
they are making, and the coloured feathers they wear 
upon their heads are streaming in the wind. The Deer 
is still ahead and appears likely, if supported by his com- 
panions, to establish his claim to the fairest daughter of 
the Iroquois. 

“The race is ours,” said Blacksnake, turning sport- 
ively around, and looking Fire-heart fully in the face. 
“White skin cannot run with the Fries.” 

Scarcely had he made the remark when the Mohawk, 
in passing a small cluster of trees, seemed to gain a slight 
advantage, and Blacksnake, on resuming his gaze, saw 
that the hopes of his opponents were increasing. Though 
the fleet-footed Deer still led, Lightfoot and the Watcher, 
two of the fastest of the Iroquois band, were head and 
head with the Hawk, and before all others of the Fries 
save one. Fire-heart, seeing that his own party were 
gaining steadily, said not a word, but stood with his eyes 
fixed upon them as if bound by the spell of enchantment. 

Blacksnake began to look doubtingly. Now the run- 
ners are becoming more distinctly visible, the distance 
between several of them begins to increase, and it can be 
clearly seen who are the foremost. The Watcher is gain- 
ing a little on the Deer, but the Hawk and Lightfoot are 
still labouring, elbow to elbow, their strong muscles work- 
ing like the bands and wheels of an engine. 

Seeing the struggle was so close at this juncture, Fire- 


298 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


heart gave a scream that sounded far into the woods and 
echoed across the waters, the full meaning of which could 
only be understood by the Mohawks, who were familiar 
with the voice of their chief. It was a shout of encour- 
agement, and at the same time a stimulus to new exer- 
tions. Its effect was immediately noticed in the increased 
speed of the Mohawks, by which is meant the Iroquois, 
the whole Confederacy being sometimes called Mohawks, 
because that nation was for a long time regarded as the 
first in rank among the Five Nations. 

“By the cross of St. Peter,” said Christie, for he 
had learned the forms of affirmation peculiar to the 
Europeans, “the Watcher will pass the Deer and the 
victory will be for our side.” 

“Holy Father!” said Enrico, throwing up his hands 
as if offering a supplication to heaven. “Let it not 
lead to strife and contention. One party will triumph, 
let not the other be displeased.” 

Christie heard not what was said by the priest, but 
kept his eyes intently fixed on the Watcher, for his sym- 
pathies and feelings were naturally with him, and at the 
critical moment he cried aloud in the French tongue an 
expression of confidence, both animating and inspiriting, 
which was heard and understood by the Watcher, but 
was not comprehended by the others. Each stride of the 
pale face now seemed to measure a little more than be- 
fore, the last quarter of the route being passed in less 
time than any other portion, amidst yells and screams 
from both the Iroquois and the Eries, which were in- 
tended for the ears of their respective champions. 

The Deer and the Watcher came out so nearly alike. 


THE KINO AND THE CROSS 


299 


that it was difficult to say which was foremost, and claims 
to precedence as between these two were made by both 
parties. They had not, however, time then to dispute 
this mooted point, for their attention was riveted upon 
the remaining runners. The next two who led the ad- 
vance were Lightfoot of the Iroquois and Hawk of the 
Eries. The shouts and shrieks of the excited spectators 
continued, and the harder those in the race exerted 
themselves, the higher rose their voices. Stride was 
measured with stride between the two in the lead, until 
near the end when Lightfoot gained on his plucky com- 
petitor, and came out a full step ahead. 

The next one to win would decide the momentous issue. 
With the others the contest was not so close. A mighty 
shout from the Iroquois soon told that the field was won, 
for another of their number had left all other contestants 
several rods behind. As he passed the goal, the rest 
urged themselves no further, but relapsed into a moder- 
ate trot, finally coming to a stand and mingling with their 
companions. Had not the third man of the Iroquois 
come out in time to decide the race, there would have 
been an awkward question to settle, whether the Watcher 
or the Deer was first at the winning post, and blood 
might have been shed. 

“ Heaven be praised,” said Enrico, ‘Uhat the struggle 
is ended, and that there is no dispute as to who are the 
victors.” 

“ What Eries think of Iroquois now ? ” ** What think 
of pale face,” spoke Lightfoot, in rather a provoking, 
taunting manner. 

Hush ! the Eries are brave men and have run well,” 


300 . THE KING AND THE CROSS 

said the priest, in a tone calculated to soothe their feel- 
ings and to heal their wounded pride, for he justly feared 
that anything like a manifestation of triumph would lead 
to disputes and finally end in bloodshed. 

The Watcher and the two Iroquois, to whom belonged 
the honour of winning, stood forth as the tried and ac- 
knowledged champions of the Five Nations. But as some 
apology for their failure, the Fries contended that the 
Deer had beaten the Watcher, though they admitted that 
they had lost the race. High words began to arise, but 
they were instantly calmed by the tactful address of 
Father Enrico. 

‘‘ Do not by your contentions,” said he, speaking to 
the Mohawks, <^lose sight of the fruits of the victory. 
Where is the prize for which the race was won ? Has not 
the Watcher, in the moment of exultation, forgotten to 
claim his right to the choice from among yon group of 
the ten chosen maidens ? ” 

As he uttered these words, he pointed to them as they 
stood apart from the others, neither rejoicing nor lament- 
ing, but silent and beautiful in the stoical simplicity of 
their race. 

Our women have courage as well as our men,” said 
Blacksnake. “Go,” continued he, addressing himself 
to the pale face, “ and claim your reward.” 

The Watcher slowly advanced towards them, walking 
from one end of the line to the other, then wheeling 
about, retraced his steps until he came to the unpretend- 
ing girl he had originally selected, and taking her by the 
hand, led her quietly off to his own people. 

What should be the destiny of the strange pair, who 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


30l 


could tell ? Here was but a young branch, an offshoot from 
the pilgrim stock, and with him was standing, evidently 
with a feeling of conscious pride, exciting perhaps the 
envy of some and the pity of others of her race, one of 
the fairest and most perfectly formed of the dusky daugh- 
ters of the forest. Great events may result from the 
transactions of this day in which they have taken a part. 
He may yet become a ruler among the people by whom 
he has been adopted, and she, perchance, may become a 
queen of the nations, and their descendants, in whom 
shall be mingled the blood of a civilized and barbarous 
people, will long be known in the valley of the Mohawk. 


CHAPTER XXI 


ONG was the rejoicing continued in the camp of the 



^ Iroquois that night. Even the light of early morn- 
ing found the fires still burning, and the dancing and 
songs of merriment scarcely ceased. The young bride 
from the Eries had shared in their festivities, and was 
now formally adopted into the family of the Five Nations. 
Her citizenship was derived from the same source as 
that of the Watcher ; she was now bound to the Con- 
federacy by the same ties, but they were the ties that 
were always rigidly observed by the red men, and were 
not to be broken. 

With the break of day, we must be on our march,” 
said Fire-heart, those whom we have left behind will 
be looking for us at the village. The season of hunting 


36^ fHE Kim AND TBE CROSS 

is come ; our sports are ended, and there is no reason 
why we should longer delay.” 

Nearly all in the camp were astir, for few had slept 
and those who had were now aroused. Preparations 
had been begun and were nearly completed for the 
return journey, when a small company of Eries were 
descried approaching them. It is Blacksnake, accom- 
panied by several of the older warriors, and some of the 
young braves. They bear a message from the Kaw- 
Kaws, the allies and friends of the Eries, a nation dwell- 
ing at the distance of six leagues from Tu-shu-way, and 
whose village was on the banks of a beautiful little 
stream pouring its waters in Lake Erie. The Iroquois 
were invited to pay them a visit at their own settlement 
before returning home. 

‘‘Our neighbours are good,” said the crafty Black- 
snake, “ we live in peace with them. Go, and they will 
be the friends of the Iroquois also.” 

“We were ready to march,” replied Fire-heart, “ the 
way is long ; we have spent much time with our brothers 
the Eries, and are anxious to behold our homes. But 
we will counsel together, and let our brothers know our 
minds. 

“ We must go with them,” said Fire-heart. “ In three 
days our visit can be made, and we can be back here. 
It is well to make the Kaw-Kaws, as well as the Eries, 
our friends.” 

“Gladly will I go with you,” said Father Enrico, 
“ and set up among another people the cross of Christ 
and the arms and standard of the king.” 

All were anxious to see another nation of red men. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


303 


Especially were those who had taken part in the game of 
ball and the race eager for new adventures. They had 
proved their prowess in two closely contested trials and 
had nothing more to fear. The Watcher and his bride, 
together with a few of the old men and women who did 
not wish to undergo the fatigues of any other march be- 
fore setting out for home, were to remain and keep up 
the camp-fire till the main body should return, so the 
rest set out following up the wave beaten shore of the Lake. 

A few hours brought the whole party to the village of 
the nation they were honouring with their visit. Here 
too. Father Enrico displayed the cross and the crucifix, 
the pictures and images, and unfolded the banners of 
France, as he had done at Tu-shu-way and elsewhere. 
Gathering a crowd of the natives around him, he dis- 
coursed most eloquently of the mysteries of the gospel of 
Christ, and of the power and magnificence of the king. 
Here also, the symbols of Christianity stirred up the 
greatest wonder, while the story of the splendour of the 
king’s equipage, and the grandeur of his kingdom, 
seemed to their simple minds scarcely less marvellous. 
Thus passed the day, the evening being given up to 
feasting, dancing and harmless pleasantry. 

The Iroquois had intended to remain the whole of the 
next day and the next night, amusing themselves with 
such light sports as they should meet with among those 
whose hospitality had been extended to them. But what 
was their utter surprise when on the following morning 
they received from the Fries a challenge of the most 
startling character. The high spirit of the young men 
of the Fries would not permit them to bear the mortifica- 


304 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


tion of the defeats they had sustained without attempting 
to retrieve their reputation, having hitherto deemed 
themselves invincible. They preferred, as it was easy to 
see by the terms of the challenge, death to dishonour, and 
such they thought their defeat. 

<< We have staked all our choicest belts of wampum on 
the event of a game, and they have been won by the 
Iroquois,” said the chief of the Eries. We have also 
staked the liberty of one of our young women upon the 
result of a race. She too has been won from us and is 
now a stranger among a strange people. The Iroquois 
are brave men. They have proved themselves such and 
we honour them. We would have one more trial. We 
would now pledge life for life in a wrestling bout. Let 
ten of your young men be chosen to meet ten of ours, 
one to be matched against one, and he that is defeated 
shall be brained with the tomahawk by his adversary.” 

Terrible as the Iroquois often were in their encounters 
with their enemies, they shuddered at the fearful proposal 
and at first recoiled from accepting such a proposition. 
They were not prepared for receiving one so awfully se- 
vere. They wished, after having lost so many men in 
their bloody conflicts with the French and the Hurons, 
to enjoy a season of peace, and the challenge of the Eries 
seemed at once to involve the question of direct and open 
war with them. 

Holy Virgin,” exclaimed Father Enrico, preserve 
us from beholding this contest.” Addressing himself to 
the Iroquois, he entreated them not to accept the propo- 
sition of the Eries. “God forbid,” said he, “that I 
should stand by and see men die by the hand of violence 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


305 


while yet in their sins. Is it possible that I have come 
with a nation whom I respect, who will join with another 
people in a trial, that by its very conditions is to end in 
murder ? If so, how then shall I escape a part of the 
guilt?” 

Christie also united his voice with that of the priest, 
his sympathies being wholly with the Iroquois. Twice 
had they been successful against those who. issued this 
bloody challenge, and their refusal to accept this could 
not be imputed to cowardice. 

The Five Nations,” said he, never knew fear. To 
take up the gauntlet thrown at our feet, would not be 
courage ; to refuse so to do would not be craven ; but 
on the other hand its acceptance would be an act of 
rashness and utter folly. You would do it only from the 
fear that if you did otherwise, you would be despised 
and treated as cowards. If they ridicule your refusal, 
you may look with contempt upon them as unworthy 
of further notice. They will be elevated by competition 
with us, but we shall be degraded.” 

Silence reigned for a moment after he had finished 
speaking, when other voices were to be heard. Those 
upon whom would fall the chances of life or death, were 
willing, nay, even anxious to accept the defiant message. 

The boast would go forth,” said Lightfoot, ‘^that 
the Iroquois, the Senecas and the Mohawks, were 
afraid to die. We cannot bear such a reproach. I would 
not be a coward, nor even thought to be one. Many of 
you as young as I am, are stronger, and would be more 
likely to be successful ; but my life is ready for him that 
shall overcome me.” 


306 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


The sentiments of Lightfoot were responded to by every 
brave among the Iroquois, and a few only of the old men 
were strongly opposed to accepting the challenge. 
Enrico might have objected to it on the score of human- 
ity ; but the great and leading motives by which he was 
governed, were the propagation of the gospel, and the 
strengthening of the alliances with the French crown. 
If the challenge should be accepted and the match begun 
and completed according to its terms, the ground would 
be crimsoned with the blood of ten human beings, and 
their spirits would cry to the living for vengeance. Years 
of faithful missionary labour could not restore the harmony 
and good feeling that now existed among the tribes; 
therefore, it could scarcely fail that the priest coming as 
the minister of Christ, and the subject of the French 
crown, should feel the dire effects of the enmity of one 
nation or the other. In vain should he set up the cross 
and attempt to teach the mysteries of redemption, if a 
people with whom the French were in alliance, should 
through any cause produce a war which it was one of 
the first objects of Christianity to prevent. 

But the voice of rivalry and ambition prevailed. The 
entreaties of Father Enrico and the old warriors who had 
seen and felt the desolations of war, and the thrilling and 
almost inspiring eloquence of Christie, were alike in vain. 
The young braves carried the day; the demand, for 
such they deemed it, was assented to, and now all that 
remained was to carry out the terrible conditions of the 
contest. 

The ten were immediately chosen of which Lightfoot 
was one. Had the Watcher been there, he doubtless would 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


307 


have been of the number, but happily perhaps for him- 
self, he was in ignorance of the exciting scenes into which 
his brethren the Iroquois were about to be plunged. The 
ten Eries were also at once chosen, and there the oppos- 
ing parties stood in two little clusters, their faces and 
bodies painted after the grotesque fashion of savage life, 
like so many victims arrayed for the sacrifice. O God, 
that such cool and deliberate arrangements should be 
made for an encounter which must terminate in sudden 
death ! 

In this crisis one intense desire now remained to the 
stout hearted Father. He was unable however, from his 
imperfect knowledge of the Indian tongues and the 
partial use of signs to which he was obliged to resort 
when communicating directly with the natives, as well 
as in consequence of the agitation of the moment, to set 
it fairly before them, and he was obliged therefore to 
speak through the Interpreter. During his short inter- 
course with the red men, he had endeared himself to the 
Eries as well as to the Iroquois. 

‘‘If blood must be shed,” said the Jesuit, “I would 
not have those who are to die go unbaptized and un- 
forgiven into the land of the Great Spirit.” 

The faithful priest could say or do no more. If he 
could administer to all of them the last sacrament intended 
for the dying, he would be satisfied. He would then 
have done his duty ; his conscience would be clear. He 
was ready, if necessary, to lay down his own life if thereby 
he might save a soul. 

“We love our white brother,” said Lightfoot, replying 
through Christie, the interpreter, “ let us gratify him in 


308 


TBE KING AND THE CROSS 


his wish, if only to show that we fear not death. We of 
the Iroquois will put ourselves in his hands and hope our 
brothers, the Eries, will do so too, because he loves them 
also.” 

‘‘ We are as ready as our brothers who have just 
spoken,” said the Hawk, to show that the Eries know 
how to die like brave men ; we too love the great medicine 
man as we are willing to manifest.” 

The cherished object of Enrico was gained. Those 
who, by the chances of the ordeal should meet death 
would be saved ; while the survivors might be so favour- 
ably disposed towards the Christian religion, that it might 
be firmly established among all the nations. The Jesuit 
Father, uplifting the cross before the assembled multitude 
composed of three nations, administered to the twenty 
the rite of baptism and the consecrated wafer. Commend- 
ing their souls to the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, 
and all the saints, he turned away and covered his face. 

Among those set apart for this terrible ordeal, stood 
conspicuous the Deer and the Hawk of the Eries, and 
Lightfoot of the Iroquois, all of whom had taken part in 
the race. But there was another, who for his strength 
was regarded as the mightiest champion of the Senecas, 
as was indicated by the name he bore. It was one of 
those expressive words for which the dialect of the 
Iroquois is distinguished, and, rendered into English 
means, He of the Strong Bow.” He was ordinarily 
called by Christie and the priest, simply Strongbow. 
His person exhibited the full symmetry and perfection of 
the physical man. His limbs were moulded into the 
most compact and finely rounded form, and his muscles 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


309 


knit together almost as closely as the fibres of iron, capa- 
ble of exerting or resisting a force which seemed almost 
incredible. He was of moderate size, and to those un- 
acquainted with him, would not be thought to be possessed 
of any extraordinary power. The bow which he used in 
hunting or in war could be bent by no other man among 
the Senecas, probably not by any one among the Five 
Nations. From this circumstance his name was derived. 

A ring was formed and the first of the Fries, a well 
built, athletic brave advanced towards the centre. He 
was selected for his unusual vigour and great tenacity of 
purpose, although he had not been engaged in either of 
the two previous contests. He was promptly met by 
Strongbow, and their positions and holds adjusted. At 
first they made their passes with extreme caution, neither 
exposing himself so as to be assailable by the other. A 
long time was spent in this way, the spectators in the 
meantime observing the most profound silence. At 
length they became more bold in their manoeuvres, and 
many times was a desperate effort made by each to throw 
his antagonist. Every one looked on breathlessly, and 
the hard respiration of the wrestlers fell with painful dis- 
tinctness on the ear. The outcome meant death to one 
of the contestants. 

Distressing it must have been to all the lookers-on, to 
think that the life of one of those brave men depended 
upon a little more or less exertion of a muscle, or upon 
the turn or twist of a foot for an instant only. Strongbow 
at length made a feint which seemed to his adversary to 
place him completely in his power. Instantly he at- 
tempted to avail himself of it, when Strongbow shifting 


310 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


his position quicker than thought, gave him a trip, exerting 
at the same moment the sinews of his powerful right arm, 
and at once laid his opponent on his back. 

A shout of triumph, not loud but deep-toned burst 
from the lips of the Iroquois, while from the great 
throng of the Eries and their friends and allies, there 
came a low murmur which seemed to creep over the 
frame like a deathly chill, and sounded upon the ear like 
an inward groan of horror. Their chosen man lay upon 
the earth, his faced covered with his hands, waiting the 
death-blow from his antagonist. Strongbow stood still 
for a moment, looked pityingly upon his fallen foe, then 
folded his arms, turned round and walked out of the 
ring to join his companions, leaving the vanquished 
Erie to go his way, or to lie there as should please him 
best, for this valiant young Seneca had determined to be 
guilty of no man’s blood that day. 

At this noble act of Strongbow, there rose from the 
open throats of the Iroquois a full and free shout that 
rent the air and ascended to the skies. Even the horror- 
stricken priest found a tongue, and for once his voice 
was heartily mingled with those of the savages. The 
whole band of the Iroquois with one accord commended 
the generosity of their champion. 

But the Eries were crestfallen. The best of their 
wrestlers lay prostrated, as valueless in their eyes as the 
trunk of a fallen tree. Then, too, he had been looked 
upon with pity by his antagonist, and was probably so 
regarded by all present. To the old chief of the Eries, 
the haughty Blacksnake, it was past endurance. He 
stepped forward, seized a tomahawk, and at a single 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


311 


stroke, dashed out the brains of the conquered warrior, 
and the poor victim probably knew not but that he had 
died by the hand of the Seneca brave. 

The Iroquois would have been satisfied to pursue the 
bloody strife no further, but the Eries demanded to go 
on. They immediately led another young and vigorous 
man into the ring, whom the Iroquois did not hesitate to 
match with one equally well fitted for the struggle. This 
did not please the Eries, and they authoritatively called 
for Strongbow. Wearied out as he was with the violent 
exertion he had just undergone, this request appeared 
rather unreasonable ; besides he had once exposed him- 
self to the chances of losing his life and no more ought 
to be expected of him. The Iroquois, however, deter- 
mined to yield to every demand of their opponents, and 
therefore Strongbow was sent forward for a second 
struggle. The little timidity which he felt on the first 
trial had worn off, and he was totally free from any 
apparent nervousness. 

His antagonist, however, who had seen the lifeless body 
of his vanquished brother dragged out of the arena, had 
a kind of presentiment that he should meet the same 
fate, and fairly trembled with excitement, but not with 
fear, for he would not take a single step to turn aside 
from the path that led to death. The bout was less 
protracted than before, resulting in the defeat of the 
Erie, Strongbow refusing to dispatch his foe. The chief 
of the Eries with flashing eyes and hatred depicted on 
his countenance, again performed the office of execu- 
tioner, and the body was dragged out to make room for 
another. A third brave was summoned, and, like those 


312 


TEE KING AND THE CEOSS 


who had preceded him, having been thrown by the pow- 
erful Seneca, met the same fate at the hands of the now 
thoroughly roused and angry chief. 

“ Angels of mercy ! ” exclaimed Father Enrico. 
♦‘When shall this work of wickedness and death find 
an end? ” 

Strongbow had overmastered three of his opponents. 
It would be nothing less than murder to allow him to try 
another, and still another of those who might demand to 
meet him. The feelings and passions of the Eries were 
wrought up to a pitch of terrible excitement. Fire-heart 
saw that the clouds were thickening fast, and that if the 
storm should burst, it would come with awful fury, con- 
sequently he gave a signal to retreat, which was instantly 
obeyed. The Eries had not expected such a ter- 
mination of the day, and before they were fully aware of 
the nature of the movement, the whole body of the Iro- 
quois were in motion, and moving rapidly away were 
soon out of sight. They fled like a retreating army 
from a scene of disaster, and stopped not till they had 
reached Tu-shu-way, which they did before nightfall of 
the same day. There they found the small guard they 
had left in charge of the camp, and there they would 
have rested for the night ; but they dreaded lest the in- 
furiated Eries might pursue, and they would be obliged 
to give them battle. They wished for peace ; hastily 
gathering up the trophies of their victories, they soon 
vanished in the depths of the dense forest which lay be- 
tween the Eries and their own homes. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


313 


CHAPTER XXII 



HE Eries were stung with mortification at their over- 


* whelming defeat by the Iroquois, and conceived a 
plan of inflicting a terrible revenge upon them. They 
immediately determined to collect a large force, and 
march swiftly and with as much secrecy as possible, to 
attack the Senecas at their principal village near the foot 
of Seneca Lake, before they could have time to rally the 
other tribes of the Confederacy. They knew they could 
not cope with the combined forces of the Five Nations, 
and that their only hope of conquering them would be 
to destroy them one by one, overrunning their whole 
country by a succession of forced marches. Before the 
visit of the Iroquois they deemed themselves invincible, 
and they could not understand the series of defeats 
with which they had met. 

‘‘I believe,” said Blacksnake, addressing his own peo- 
ple, that our braves were beaten by some strange con- 
juration; and that the black-robed medicine man with 
the cross and pictures, came to help the Iroquois gain 
the victory over us. We will go and burn their towns, 
and destroy their people so suddenly that the Evil Spirit 
cannot come in time to aid them.” 

The Eries had not yet left the village of the Kaw- 
Kaws which was on the banks of the pleasant stream, 
now known as Eighteen Mile Creek. Here was the scene 
of their defeat; the blood-stains of their vanquished 


314 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


warriors were yet visible on the ground; their ghosts 
were still stalking abroad and from the woods and waters 
the groans of unresting spirits were crying for vengeance 
on the Iroquois. It was at this point that the forces of 
the Eries should be rallied. 

‘‘Go, you swift of foot,” said Blacksnake addressing 
himself to the Hawk and the Deer, “and rally all of our 
fighting men, returning here in three days. We will 
then follow the path of the Iroquois, who by that time will 
be scattered among all the villages of the Five Nations. 
Marching stealthily, we can cut off the Senecas, and 
village after village will fall before us.” 

Scarcely had the words been spoken, before the young 
braves to whom they were addressed were on their way 
to the principal settlement of their tribe. The spirit of 
war was fully roused and it was not to be allayed until it 
should be satiated with blood. Every ear among the 
Eries would hear the voice of the War-God, and every 
warrior would respond at the call. But there was one 
who heard of the terrible resolution with unspeakable 
sorrow. 

Among the Eries was a Seneca woman who had been 
taken prisoner in her youth and had married one of their 
chiefs. He had long since died, leaving one child, a 
beautiful girl of some fifteen summers, who resembled 
the Senecas more than the race of her father, and who 
was the mother’s solace and pride. Only recently the 
poor woman had been obliged to stand quietly by, and 
see the daughter torn from her embrace, to become the 
bride of the Watcher, at the time of his conquest ov^r 
the Eries at Tu-shu-way. 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


315 


The mother had long since forgotten the land of her 
father, and had almost ceased to care for the nation to 
which he belonged. Now the last tie which bound her 
to the Eries was broken, for the daughter had been taken 
away by an adopted son of the Mohawks. The Senecas, 
her own kindred, were to be surprised and cut off with- 
out a moment’s warning, and this was to her a painful 
thought. A long train of pleasant memories came rush- 
ing back on her mind like the rustling of angels’ wings ; 
the ties that were sundered when she was severed from 
her own people, were reunited, and, for the first 
time in many eventful years, she felt that she was one of 
the Seneca nation. 

The widowed woman had beheld the horrible massacre 
of the vanquished Eries by their own infuriated chief, 
and she was still in sight of the ground crimsoned with 
their blood. What should she do ? she asked of herself. 
Should she remain there till the meditated tragedy was 
consummated, she felt that she would be as guilty as if 
she had assisted in striking the blow. With the red 
woman as with the white, to wish was to will, and to will 
was to act, like another Pocahontas. She watched the 
first opportunity to leave the camp unobserved, and 
travelling rapidly, she reached shortly after nightfall, Tu- 
shu-way ; and following the course of the Niagara river, 
she kept all night on her toilsome journey, winding her 
way through tangled woods ; swimming or fording the 
small streams that crossed her path, and by daylight 
reached the shore of Lake Ontario. 

Fortune now favoured her, for she here espied a canoe 
tied to a tree, and no one near. Untying the frail bark 


316 


THE KINO AND THE CEOSS 


which seemed to have been placed there for her use, with 
paddle in hand, she committed herself trustingly to the 
bosom of the lake, and coasting along its southern 
border, late the next night she arrived at the mouth of 
the Oswego where a considerable settlement of the Iro- 
quois resided. 

Although darkness had set in, she succeeded in finding 
the lodge of the head chief and was admitted to an inter- 
view. She related to him the sole purpose of her mis- 
sion, and was then carefully concealed by the chief. It 
was necessary for him, though he had what he thought 
positive information of the warlike preparations and 
hostile intentions of the Eries, to rely in some measure, 
upon the superstitions of his people, consequently he im- 
mediately despatched trusty messengers to all the villages 
of the Five Nations, summoning them to meet at once in 
a general council which was to be held at Onondaga, the 
place of their great council fire. 

But one sun had risen and set, when the swift runners 
returned, and without delay the chiefs and warriors of 
the Confederacy began to flock into the renowned seat 
of the Iroquois Empire. The fires around which they 
had so often gathered were rekindled and the great Indian 
congress was open. When a sufficient number had ar- 
rived the chief proceeded to state the object for which he 
had called them together. He declared in glowing 
terms that he had seen a vision in which a beautiful bird 
had appeared to him with feathers soiled and worn after 
a long, laborious flight, and with blood-stained wings as 
if she had come from a battle-field, bringing to him the 
astounding news that the Eries were assembling a large 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


317 


force to attack and destroy their villages, and that all the 
warriors of the Five Nations must be gathered and go 
forth to meet them. 

This important communication of the experienced 
chief was listened to in the most breathless silence, and 
he was looked upon with almost as much veneration and 
wonder as if he were a divine oracle. He stood before 
them invested with all the dignity of a prophet. What 
he said was not only regarded as wisdom, but as truth. 
To doubt his word would have been as impious as to dis- 
pute the existence of the Great Spirit. 

When the chief had finished speaking, a loud and 
simultaneous yell arose from the deep lungs of the as- 
sembled warriors, and if there were ‘Hongues in trees” 
what tales some of the forest giants of Onondaga might 
tell of the rising and prolonged shout, and of the solemn 
echoes that resounded through the almost illimitable 
woods in the valley of the Oswego ! One thought alone 
animated all hearts, and that was instant preparation for 
defence; this was at once resolved upon, though the 
reasons of it and the particular character of the informa- 
tion was still wrapt in mystery. 

‘^Whence has flown the beautiful bird?” asked one 
of the younger braves. “We should like to see if her 
rough and blood-stained wings indicate that she bears to 
us a message which threatens to bring war upon our 
nation.” 

The chief was fortunately ready to bring the Seneca 
woman before them, should the literal rather than the 
metaphorical meaning of what he had said be demanded. 
He therefore ordered her to be brought into the council. 


318 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


<*This is the bird,” said the chief, as the Seneca 
woman appeared, “ who has brought me the news I have 
told you.” 

The woman then confirmed in vivid language all that 
the chief had stated to the conclave, and the warriors 
present gazed upon her as a heavenly messenger, bring- 
ing as she did news of such deep import, and which 
might save them from overwhelming disaster. 

“ And see ! ” continued the chief, “her dress and or- 
naments are of the fashion of the Eries, and her moc- 
casins, they are not such as are made by the Iroquois ; 
but her face is different from those of our enemies. Does 
it not rather resemble those of our own people? ” 

By the side of the aged and honourable chiefs of this 
great council stood Christie the interpreter. To him was 
always awarded a post of honour. He had fixed his at- 
tention closely on the looks and the words of the bearer 
of the tidings, and believed he had seen her countenance 
before. His memory was generally faithful, although 
sometimes slow in bringing back to his mind the images 
of past events. 

At this juncture something has caught the attention 
of one of the warriors. He is straining his eyes to a 
distance. A long procession of Indians is approaching. 
They are the Mohawks, but just come in response to the 
summons. An opening is made for them in the great 
circle of the Iroquois, for they were always entitled to a 
high place in the councils. They entered, and among 
them was the Watcher who was instantly recognized by 
the Seneca woman. 

“ Where has the pale face left the young bird he bore 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


319 


off as the prize of his victory over the Eries? ” asked the 
woman as she fixed her piercing black eyes full upon him. 
At that moment her identity was intuitively perceived by 
the Watcher and Christie, for they saw in her the mother 
of the young girl won by the Mohawk at Tu-shu-way. 

‘^The bird is singing in the woods of the Mohawk 
valley,” answered the Watcher through the Interpreter, 
*‘a.nd everywhere within the sound of her voice, even 
the whispering winds breathe of harmony, and the rip- 
pling waters send forth sweet music of gushing and un- 
ending melody.” 

The pale face had learned the forms of speech peculiar 
to civilized life; but his associations with the red men 
had infused into his mind the riches of their allegorical 
and poetical language, therefore his thoughts lost nothing 
in force and beauty of expression by passing through the 
lips of the Interpreter ; for it might be said of him as it 
was of Joucaire, that he spoke with all the energetic 
spirit of a Frenchman, and with the most sublime elo- 
quence of an Iroquois. 

'^Thou lookest not like the tribe of the Eries,” said 
Christie, addressing the woman as well in behalf of the 
council as for himself. Thy face is like the Senecas, 
and yet thou comest from the tribe of our enemies. 
Whence then is thy love for the Iroquois ? ” 

I come indeed,” replied she, ‘‘ from the Eries, bring- 
ing to the Iroquois a message which will save them from 
destruction, for I am of the race of the Senecas. Re- 
member you not the young maiden Ah-i-wee-o who fled 
from the village of the Mohawks long years ago ? The 
chief, my father, was to have given me away to a youthful 


320 


TBE KING AND THE CROSS 


brave of that nation, but I loved a young Seneca, and 
could not forget him. I made my escape, and sought 
by turning out of the beaten path to reach the village of 
the Senecas ; losing my way, I wandered many days and 
was finally taken captive by a band of the Eries. After 
being conveyed to their home, I was sought in marriage 
by one of the chiefs and became his wife. He has since 
died.” 

This was her brief, eventful story. Her husband dead, 
her child sold into perpetual captivity, and the nation of 
her adoption preparing to wage a war of extermination 
upon her kindred. Then it was that the feelings of 
natural affection triumphed over her habitual associations, 
and she had torn herself away to revisit the land of her 
birth and the scenes of her childhood. The whole ac- 
count of the warlike preparations of the Eries was related 
over again to the interested Mohawks. Their resolution 
was instantly taken ; delay might be fatal. Most of the 
fighting men of the Oneidas and the Mohawks had 
already arrived, and therefore they set out for the settle- 
ments of the Cayugas and Senecas, determined to 
meet the Eries before they could possibly reach the first 
village of the Confederates. The history of the Seneca 
woman had been a romantic one, and the Iroquois were 
ready to believe that she had been raised up and sent 
forth by the Great Spirit to protect them in this hour of 
their extreme peril. 

All the experienced warriors of the powerful fivefold 
league were to be hurried forward without delay, while 
the young men who had never been in battle were to be 
kept in reserve for any unforeseen emergency. Thus for- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


321 


tified they moved rapidly onwards, Father Enrico ac- 
companying them to seize upon any opportunity that 
might offer, to administer the rite of baptism and the 
consolations of religion to the wounded and the dying. 

Deeply did he regret the necessity of leaving the de- 
lightful mission he had established among the Onondagas. 
Already had he made some converts, and the good seed 
was sown which he hoped would spring up and bear fruit. 
He had devoutly desired to see the day when those ancient 
woods in the valley of the Oswego would be vocal with 
the united voice of the Five Nations in the praises of 
Christ, the Saviour, the Holy Virgin and the blessed 
saints. But the Iroquois had been summoned to war ; 
relentless enemies were plotting their destruction, and 
their attacks must be resisted. The Master of Life willed 
it and they must obey. He had sent them a heavenly 
messenger to warn them of their danger, and that was 
an omen of success. This was the Providence in which 
the Indian trusted, and with them the duty to obey was 
as inexorable as with the Christian to regard the will of 
the Great Author of his being. The Jesuit must follow 
the savage host to the place of battle. The field of mis- 
sionary labour is in every land where human beings are 
gathered together, and is always the greatest where the 
severest trials are to be encountered. And so, with 
crucifix in hand, Enrico was ready for any new adventure 
that might befall him. 


322 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


CHAPTER XXIII 


HE throng of Indian warriors moved on, receiving 



* accessions to their numbers at every village through 
which they wended their way. While they were in their 
own territory, and ever and anon in the midst of a 
cluster of their own villages, there was no probability of 
being surprised or ambushed by lurking foes. It was 
their purpose to pass beyond the bounds of their own 
settlements and meet the Eries before they should ap- 
proach their towns. They had passed the last village on 
their route, and even the great hill of Ge-nun-de-wah 
near Canandaigua Lake, the fabled birthplace of the 
Senecas. From this point they had sent forth their 
scouts to keep a lookout for the enemy. 

The Iroquois were now in one of the most beautiful 
sections of Western New York, and everything around, 
on earth and in air seemed so peaceful, that had not the 
vision of the old chief been interpreted to the council by 
the story of the Seneca woman, they might have believed 
the pretended vision to have been but a creation of his 
own imagination. Doubts had arisen, it is true, in the 
minds of some of the more skeptical warriors of the 
correctness of her statement ; but the head chief never 
for a moment doubted that they were to have a sanguinary 
conflict with their terrible foes. 

‘^Nowthatwe have gone beyond our own villages,” 
said he, ‘‘we must keep a sharper watch, for we may 
meet the enemy when we least expect to. The Eries are 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


323 


wily, and will come creeping along silently like cats, 
ready to spring upon their prey.” 

“There is little danger,” said Fire-heart, “but that 
we shall know of their approach. The Watcher has a 
keen eye, and is on the alert to discover a trail, while 
there is not one among all the Five Nations who is better 
versed in woodcraft, or who could quicker bring us back 
the news of their presence than Lightfoot.” 

The two young men referred to were the most to be 
relied upon of any who belonged to the scouting party. 
As the tried champions of the Iroquois in a friendly con- 
test with the Fries, they were now thought worthy of the 
fullest confidence. The Indian forces were moving 
stealthily along, — notwithstanding they relied upon the 
scouts to give them the first intelligence of the approach 
of their deadly foes — the old chief and Fire-heart keeping 
a little in advance of the main body to look out the path 
by which they were to march, that they might not be 
drawn into any impassable morass or deeply tangled 
thicket from which it would be difficult to extricate them- 
selves. 

They had just risen to the brow of a hill of moderate 
elevation, and were about to go down into the valley 
beyond through which flowed a small stream, when the 
leaders having already descended its banks, were able 
from its straightness to command a long view between 
the trees bordering it upon either side. Fire-heart first 
ran his eye along the margin of the water, following down 
its course for a considerable distance to see if he could 
discern any indications of the river having been forded, 
and finding none, he directed his gaze far down the 


324 


THE KING AND TEE CROSS 


stream, scrutinizing the banks closely. For quite a time 
he saw nothing beyond the gentle motion of the leaves 
produced by the slight breeze playing upon them. But 
the Indian is never tired of watching if he knows danger 
is near, for something, sooner or later, will break upon 
his view. 

As they continued their silent vigil, they saw as far 
below them as the eye could reach, the figures of two 
men fording the river from the opposite side. To other 
eyes than those of the red men they would have been 
invisible, and even to them their outline was extremely 
indistinct owing to a curvature of the shores of the stream 
which so narrowed the field of vision that scarcely did 
they emerge from the cover of the thick bushes on one side, 
before they were again concealed from observation on the 
other. 

Had the figures continued in sight a moment longer, 
their true character could have been determined by these 
two experienced Iroquois. Their scouts, they knew, 
must have reconnoitred far beyond the place where they 
were, but perhaps they might have made some discovery 
and were now returning to give information. Another 
phase of the matter suggested to their minds was, that 
they were* of the advance guard of the Fries who were 
approaching, and that the main body had forded the 
stream so far below as to be completely out of sight ; or 
else that they were encamped only a short distance off, 
and therefore the two they had seen were spies sent for- 
ward to look over the ground, and to be on the watch 
against an attack from any quarter. 

With these conflicting suppositions in their minds, the 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


325 


chief and his companion ascended the high bank of the 
river, advancing warily in the direction in which the two 
men had crossed, believing they could easily discover 
without being observed themselves, whether if they were 
Eries any considerable number of them were near. 
Cautiously moving in the proper course to carry out this 
design, they soon came to a small spot of open ground. 
Stepping behind a thick cluster of bushes so as to be con- 
cealed from view, and at the same time to be able to see 
any one who should enter the opening from any direction, 
they determined to remain there for a short time, rightly 
supposing that the others thinking no one near would 
have little hesitation in exposing themselves. They had 
not been in that position long, before the two they had 
seen entered the area from the opposite side, when they 
soon recognized in them the forms of Lightfoot and the 
Watcher. 

Fire-heart and the older warrior immediately emerged 
from their place of concealment and advanced to meet 
their friends. 

‘‘Whence come you,” asked the old chief; “we are 
looking for the Eries, expecting to find them by thousands, 
and here we have only two harmless Iroquois.” 

“What you have looked for you will soon find,” said 
Lightfoot, “ for our deadly foes are not now three leagues 
off, and the sooner we come up with them with our whole 
force, the better. We have seen their camp, but without 
being discovered by them.” 

In reply to further questions, Lightfoot stated that the 
enemy were encamped in great numbers not far from a 
small lake, apparently taking a little rest, unconscious 


326 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


that any danger was near. It was evident that no time 
was to be lost, and the four, without waiting for the 
remainder of the scouting party to rejoin them, rapidly 
retraced their steps to where the main body of the 
Iroquois were, when word was quickly, and at the same 
time, quietly passed along the savage lines, all beginning 
to move forward under able leadership. Their path was 
now in some measure marked out, and they hoped to 
come upon the enemy before they were prepared to re- 
ceive them. 

They had marched nearly the distance they had 
expected without however coming up with the rest of the 
scouts who had, as they surmised, taken a different route. 
Presently they came to a correct understanding of their 
position by arriving in sight of those beautiful waters 
now known as Honeoye Lake. They had themselves 
turned a little out of the path it was their purpose to 
pursue, having borne too far to the south, and coming 
directly upon the lake instead of passing by its northern 
extremity, as they had intended. 

It was a considerable distance beyond this beautiful 
sheet of water that the Eries had been discovered by the 
scouts, and the Iroquois warriors had expected to come 
up with them near the same place. The Eries however 
turned to the right, passing down the eastern shore of the 
lake till they arrived at its northern extremity, where its 
waters were discharged through a narrow stream. As the 
Iroquois defiled along the banks of the river concealed 
from the view of the opposite shore by the trees which 
formed a dense border between them and the waters, the 
sharp eyes of Fire-heart peering through an opening in 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


327 


the thicket descried the whole array of the Eries upon the 
opposite bank. He at once emerged from his covert and 
placed a portion of his force in full sight of the enemy. 

This was the first moment they had any idea of meet- 
ing the Iroquois before arriving at some of their towns. 
Taken completely by surprise, still they were not unpre- 
pared. Almost as with the same breath the terrible war- 
cry was raised by both parties. The Eries, with the 
most determined bravery, rushed through the stream, and 
with the greatest fury attacked the Iroquois. The reserve 
corps were kept entirely out of view, and even the whole 
of their regular force, composed of their experienced 
warriors, were not exposed to the first brunt of the im- 
petuous onslaught of the Eries. The assault and the 
resistance were worthy of the best days of the Iroquois 
and of their hitherto unconquered enemies. 

The combined forces of the Confederacy were not at 
the commencement of the battle able to withstand the 
awful shock. They stood up nobly to the terrible en- 
counter, but were compelled to give way, though the 
fight ceased not. Above the infernal din of the conflict 
and the more softened music of the waters, were heard 
the shouts of the old Iroquois chief and the fearful yells 
of Fire-heart urging their braves to further efforts, 
though they had faltered not. The whole body of the 
Iroquois, except the reserves, now became engaged ; hand 
to hand they fought desperately, using only the tomahawk 
and the heavy war club, and the warrior who felled his 
opponent with a blow, met almost the same instant his 
own death stroke ; for no quarter was asked or given on 
either side. 


328 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


The tide was changed, and like a returning flow of the 
waves that have been dashed and broken on the shore, 
the Eries were pressed into the stream, driven across it, 
and the battle was continued with redoubled fierceness 
on the other side. Not one of the undaunted Iroquois 
held back ; most of the young warriors who had taken a 
part in the friendly games in which the Eries had been 
defeated were among the reserves which had not yet 
been brought into action. But a few of them who had 
belonged to the scouting party, meeting the main body 
of the Confederates on their return, had become mingled 
with them. 

Lightfoot and the Watcher were of this number, as 
brave in battle as they had been active in their several 
contests with the Eries. Man after man is falling on 
both sides, now here and now there, and the dead bodies 
are beginning to encumber the ground. The warriors of 
the Five Nations, fighting stubbornly, must again yield ; 
they are driven into the river, and now they are on their 
own side again, the Eries pursuing. Courage, strength 
and even desperation must do their worst, and rash 
emprise will accomplish wonders on that field. The 
waters of the little stream were crimsoned with the blood 
of those who had fallen by the tomahawk or deadly war- 
club in crossing, as if blushing at the foul deeds of war 
that were performed on its borders. 

Fearful are the records of that ill-omened day, but the 
most severe conflict must some time cease, and even 
Death must have an end to his conquests. Human 
muscles cannot endure forever. The perishable frame- 
work of the most heroic spirit must at somq time be di§- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


329 


solved. Bone and sinew will at last give out under ex- 
haustion, or may be rendered unavailing by superior 
might. Seven times had the contending armies crossed 
and recrossed the stream, each being alternately driven 
by the other until the Iroquois are now on the side first 
occupied by the Eries. 

The reserve corps had been sent across the stream and 
placed in ambush a little below the scene of the sanguin- 
ary fray. The battle rages fiercely, but the infuriated 
Iroquois will not again be compelled to retreat, neither 
will they lose the vantage gained at such great cost. 
They are now determined to find there either victory or a 
grave. The reserves, consisting of one thousand young 
men, are brought up at a fortunate moment under a 
leader whom the Eries have cause to remember. ’Tis 
he of the Strong Bow, whose arm laid low three oppo- 
nents, who died by the hand of their angry chief. This 
eager band, with a tremendous war shout, which is re- 
sponded to by the older warriors, attack the Eries in their 
rear, thus placing them between two forces. The Eries 
know how to fight and how to die, but they will not yield. 
Their close array is broken. Many attempt to escape, 
while the rest are cut down, scorning to ask even by a 
look for mercy. 

The fugitives are hotly pursued, and innumerable are 
those who are slaughtered as they fly. Out of some 
thousands, a few hundreds alone escaped to bear the 
news to the remnant of their people, and their women 
and children ; but even these were hotly pursued by a 
portion of the enraged, vindictive Iroquois. When all 
resistance had ceased on that field of carnage, not one of 


330 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the Eries was left there alive. Those who had fled, and 
the Iroquois who sought to overtake them were far away, 
and as the old chief and the rest of his band thought it 
useless to pursue, they prepared to leave without delay 
and return to their homes. 

Father Enrico and Christie had followed the war party 
of the Iroquois, but on finding the enemy had been dis- 
covered, and a bloody battle likely to ensue, they had 
wisely fallen back to the ground occupied by the reserve, 
and when this body moved forward to cross the river, 
the half-breed and the Jesuit deemed it prudent to keep 
a short distance away from the scene of the projected 
attack. 

“O that they had but listened to my words,” said the 
priest to the chiefs, when he had come up to the place 
where they were after the conflict was over j “and all 
these would have been alive and at peace ! But heaven 
is cheated of many a converted soul, and hell itself is 
peopled with this vast multitude of the dead.” 

Father Enrico turned away from the appalling sight 
which met his gaze, and was followed by Christie, while 
the victors paused for a time to gather up the weapons of 
the unfortunate Indians they had slain, and of their own 
fallen braves, as well as to bury the bodies of their dead 
and to secure the scalps of the vanquished. Long years 
afterwards the bones of the Eries were to be found there, 
and some perhaps may even be mouldering in the soil to 
this day. 


TEE KING AND THE CROSS 


331 


CHAPTER XXIV 

S LOWLY, and almost as if unwilling to relinquish the 
chase, the Iroquois retraced their steps to their 
own villages, loaded down — O sickening sight ! — with 
the scalps of their enemies. These terrible trophies of 
their prowess must be carried back and preserved as proofs 
of their success. The awful record of this day was to be 
kept by tracing in characters of blood upon the whitened 
surfaces of the scalps, the barbaric inscriptions of their 
nation, and by giving a crimson dye to their dark locks. 
Decades after this notable achievement the young men of 
the Confederacy were taught by these emblems the his- 
tory of the glory and chivalry of their ancestors. The 
sway of the great fivefold league now extended quite to 
the western extremity of Lake Erie, and south to the 
Ohio. 

They had before deemed themselves invincible ; and 
now there was no nation that would even dare to dispute 
their power. A great festival was made at Onondaga, 
and the victory celebrated with all the barbaric pomp 
and parade that can well be imagined. For many days 
and nights dancing and singing were kept up, the mo- 
tions made by the war-club as they swung it wildly above 
their heads, indicating the way they had destroyed their 
enemies ; while the weird chorus they uttered rehearsed 


332 


TBE KING AND THE CROSS 

the number of the slain, and boasted of the unconquer- 
able energy of the Iroquois.^ 

When the festival was over and the warriors had dis- 
persed to their several homes, the Jesuit Father, Enrico, 
was again left to the care of the mission he had estab- 
lished. So great was the promise of success that a little 
colony of French was induced to settle in the land of the 
Onondagas. But here they were compelled to encounter 
the most severe privations, — hunger, thirst and naked- 
ness : — the ruggedness of Nature stared them in the face 
with a terror that was truly dismaying, and they were as- 
sailed by sickness and death before they could prepare 
dwellings to shelter them from the storm. Jealousies 
were also excited among the Confederates, and despite 
the teachings of the missionaries, combined with their 
own promises of peace, the Oneidas waylaid and mur- 
dered some of the French, who in turn retaliated by seiz- 
ing some of the Iroquois. A conspiracy seemed to be 
forming against them ; they looked in vain for reinforce- 
ments which could enable them to maintain themselves 
against the Onondagas, among whom was their principal 
settlement; they therefore reluctantly determined to 
abandon their chapel, their cabins, and even the whole 
valley of the Oswego. 

The alliance formed between the French and the Iro- 
quois was now at an end and they were once more at war. 
The connection which had existed between them , was sun- 
dered forever. The power of France was broken. The do- 

1 The Iroquois were “ the fiercest, the boldest, the most politic, 
and the most ambitious savages to whom the American forest has 
ever given birth and nurture.” — Parkman. ; 


TEE KING AND TEE CROSS 


333 


minion she had hoped one day to acquire over the empire 
of the Iroquois, was henceforth to be one of the dreams of 
her rulers. The mission of the Interpreter, the half-breed, 
which Enrico in his enthusiasm almost imagined to be 
divine, of blending the two races, was also at an end. 
The Iroquois in conquering the Eries had annihilated the 
last powerful enemy among the aborigines of this country. 
A band of their warriors were still pursuing those who 
had fled from the scene of danger and of death, and 
young braves who had been victorious in their sports and 
in battle, had disappeared into the hidden fastnesses of 
the forest ready to sally forth on their errands of un- 
bridled rage at the first intimation of war. 

The Watcher with his dusky bride had fallen back into 
the remotest village of the Mohawks, and was ever after 
entitled to a voice in the councils of the nation. But 
those two renowned chiefs. Fire-heart and Wild Cat, 
continued as they had always been, the terror of the 
woods. Sometimes when there was a long interval of 
peace they would devote themselves to the sports of the 
chase, and occasionally carry the fruits of their toil to 
the Dutch traders at Fort Orange, until such time as they 
too were compelled to give up the. traffic when their 
people were forced to make room for the English. 

The influence of the Jesuits and of the French was 
alike doomed to cease. Though the cross is at this day 
seen here and there throughout most of the territory once 
claimed and controlled by the Five Nations, it is re- 
garded almost exclusively as a symbol to turn the 
thoughts of men to a more pure and spiritualized faith 
than that professed and taught in those early days, and 


334 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the lilies of the Bourbons as well as the emblems of Brit- 
ish rule that succeeded, have faded away and vanished 
from the soil. 

Father Enrico, and Christie the interpreter, with the 
small remnant of the French colony that were driven out 
from the country of the Onondagas, again gathered to- 
gether at Montreal. All those who were the companions 
of Enrico in the enterprise in which he had spent the 
better part of his life, had once more congregated to- 
gether. The Jesuit Father had deeply regretted that he 
was obliged to leave the pale face, known as the Watcher 
among the Mohawks, as he had become endeared to him, 
but that was now past, and regrets for him were useless. 

There was only one other being on earth he could 
have wished at this time to meet in the sweet communion 
of social intercourse, and that was Pauline. She too was 
on the Island, having come solely on an errand of mercy, 
not expecting or even dreaming that in any of her wan- 
derings over the wide world she should ever again meet 
Enrico. She had voluntarily sought this sphere for her 
work, and could not turn away from what to her was a 
labour of love. Pauline could not but feel that in meet- 
ing the lover of her early womanhood, she had been 
called upon to bear one of those crosses which are neces- 
sary for the full perfection of the Christian character. 
She had withdrawn herself almost entirely from the so- 
ciety of those who would, had her religious feelings been 
different, have been the companions of her self-imposed 
exile from the land of her birth, and the scenes of her 
youth. 

In a rustic hut she dispensed her charities and im- 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


335 


parted such instruction as was thought necessary to the 
Huron children ; resolved never again to hold converse 
with Enrico, for she knew the strength of his feelings and 
the power of his words. More than twenty years had 
come and gone since the day when she had first listened 
to the voice of the charmer, and the flush of girlish 
beauty had long since departed from her countenance, 
but in its place there was a serene placidity ; a quiet dig- 
nity, and a gentleness that was almost saintly. The 
maiden full of smiles and hopes, had now put on a 
matron-like air, and her soul which had been wrung by 
the changing realities of life, was replete with benevo- 
lence and sympathy for the sufferings of others, and she 
was now illustrating in her own person the beautiful 
proofs of the growth and development of the Christian 
character. One must needs pass through trials ; they 
who endure the most, and by their steadfast adherence to 
the truth and the right come safely through, will shine 
with brightest lustre. 

But here stand in a group, Enrico, Charles Servien, 
Pierre and Barnabe. They had reached a point of time 
in which they could review their own lives, and take a 
survey of the vista before them. The springtime of their 
manhood had passed before they entered upon this por- 
tion of their course in life, and in this they had spent the 
vigour of their lives. Their several pursuits had been 
somewhat varied, and various had been their success and 
degrees of enjoyment. Charles had amassed a large for- 
tune in addition to what he had inherited from his 
father’s estate, and was now a man of great wealth, and 
Julie, the beautiful grisette, was the partner of his for- 


336 


THE KING AND THE CEOSS 


tunes and his power. Engaging in her person, strong in 
her attachments, and tender in her affections, she was 
also blameless in her life. Charles, now that he was ab- 
sent from his wife, gave proof in his deportment of the 
strength of his love for one in every way so worthy of it. 
Many leagues are between them, but through the lapse of 
time and the labour of travel they shall again be re- 
united. 

Enrico listened attentively while his early friend ran 
over the story of his wonderfully successful career, for 
the spirit of Christianity, which seemed to have had only 
a feeble hold on the priest’s heart, had now relaxed its 
grasp, and he became deeply absorbed in the stirring 
narrative recounted to him, and it was observed that he 
took more pleasure than was usual for one of his pro- 
fession in those ventures of trade which had yielded so 
rich a return. When Pierre and Barnabe told in his 
presence their hunting and trapping adventures, he was 
evidently amused by the incidents connected with them, 
but manifested a deeper interest in arriving at the actual 
results of these expeditions. The capture of a beaver 
was a matter of small moment, but the product of his 
fur was a circumstance not to be overlooked or forgotten. 
In short, he was becoming worldly minded, and his 
heart was beginning again to be set on earthly things. 
True, he had endeavoured to propagate Christianity 
among the natives of the new continent, still his efforts 
had not been entirely unmingled with ambition. 

He had desired to establish with it the authority of the 
French crown ; failing in this he had been compelled to 
abandon the other also, or to expose himself to the risk 


THE KINO AND THE CEOSS 


337 


of setting the seal of blood to the covenants he had made 
with the Order to which he belonged, and with his own 
soul. His courage and his elevation of spirit not prov- 
ing equal to the latter, he had taken counsel of his fears 
and abandoned the field of his labours, for he did not 
care, like Jogues and Daniel, Breboeuf and Lalemant, to 
seek the martyr’s death that he might wear the martyr’s 
crown, and he was justifiying to his comrades the course 
he had pursued. 

While this was going on Christie remained silent listen- 
ing to the conversation around him. He had honourably 
accomplished his part of the mission and was ready to 
return to the home of his youth at the village of the 
Hurons near Quebec. 

If the true characters of any of the party had been 
concealed, the mask of dissimulation was now laid aside. 
Enrico indeed began to show that the part he had acted 
was in accordance with his strangely contradictory 
nature composed of varying elements of much that was 
good, and much that was evil. Ardent and impulsive in 
his feelings, he was Jesuitical in his moral and mental 
qualities ; professing poverty, chastity and obedience, he 
had in effect violated all these vows. 

His first and greatest act of disobedience was his will- 
ingness to revive the love he had in early life for his 
cherished friend Pauline. Foiled in this, the chilling 
propensities of avarice had stolen into his heart and were 
beginning to destroy the warmer and better feelings of 
the soul, and now he had, in his conversations with 
Charles, Pierre and Barnab^, imbibed the desire of be- 
coming rich. O how the miserable dross weighs down 


338 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


the higher aspirations of man ! Impulses and sympathies 
that tend heavenwards, are dragged down by its ponder- 
ous weight, and the once free, untrammeled spirit cannot 
rise again, till, disembodied, it shall no more claim 
affinity with the things of earth. 

It was through many meetings and familiar talks of 
this coterie of friends, that the feelings of Enrico became 
assimiliated to those of his companions. On one oc- 
casion the conversation had been continued for some time 
and the party had nearly relapsed into silence, their faces 
turned inwards to the centre of their small circle, and 
their eyes fixed meditatively upon the ground. Just at 
this time there had approached the group unobserved, 
one who had a deep interest in one of its members, and 
Pierre was the first to raise his eyes and see before him 
the finely rounded form of a young Indian girl arrayed 
in the simple dress and the barbaric ornaments of her 
race. The naturally reddened hue of her complexion 
seemed to be softened and purified by some hidden sor- 
row ; and when her youthful features were seen in con- 
trast with her dark, luminous eyes, and the long glossy 
black hair that fell down upon her shoulders, she seemed 
beautiful ; indeed she was one of the most comely of the 
daughters of the forest. 

She was standing fixed as a statue as if seeking recog- 
nition, or as if doubtful whether he whom she sought was 
present, when suddenly the gaze of Barnab6 rested upon 
her illuminated and speaking countenance. Not a word 
was uttered by either, but with a quick motion the maiden 
drew forth from her bosom something which she held up 
to the view of Barnabe, and instantly rushed into his 


THE KING AND THE CBOSS 


339 


arms. She was the winsome and bright-eyed Huron girl 
Yahshu, with whom he had parted on leaving Quebec. 
He saw the token and knew it was the half of the broken 
stick she had divided with him when they bade each 
other farewell. He drew from his wallet the other part, 
and when the divided ends were placed together, and the 
union seemed to be perfect, joy lit up the eyes of both, 
and Barnabe and Yahshu were united by a bond of affec- 
tion not easily severed. In their feelings and their sym- 
pathies, in the living Present and for the opening Future, 
they were one. 

Pierre was much inclined to make merriment over this 
incident at the expense of his friend ; but his efforts met 
with no response from any of the group. His jests 
awakened no laughter, for their feelings were on the side 
of Barnabd. Charles seemed especially thoughtful. His 
thoughts had flitted away on the wings of love, and were 
that moment with his absent wife. Rapidly there formed 
in his mind not only the wish, but the resolve to be with 
her. 

Enrico was no less moved by the scene than Charles 
Servien. First there came unbidden to his mind, his 
hopeless and unrequited love for Pauline, and how he 
was neglected and almost scorned by her. She was no 
more to be thought of by him, and he well nigh began 
to hate her for the spotless purity of her life. His love 
had given place to anger and disdain, and as his mission 
among the Indians was at an end, his longer residence 
there was useless, and he determined at once and forever 
to abandon the Island. 

Barnabe and Yahshu remained at Montreal, and in their 


340 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


lives and fortunes exemplified much of the actual ro- 
mance of life in the New World. From like intermar- 
riages of the French with the women of the Hurons, 
has descended a considerable portion of the present pop- 
ulation of Lower Canada. Although the French rule 
there was compelled to yield to the power of the English, 
the influence of the early missionaries has been felt and 
manifested in the continued propagation of the Roman 
Catholic faith among the generations that has succeeded 
the pioneers of that day. 

In this breaking up of the associations of so many 
years between a few of the actors in these scenes and 
events which had their origin in an attempt to firmly es- 
tablish the Roman Catholic religion, and to plant the 
standard of French dominion upon the American conti- 
nent, Pierre determined to remain with his old friend 
Barnabe upon the Island, pursuing with him the occupa- 
tions of hunting and trapping, and sending the furs they 
should collect to the traders at Quebec, in exchange for 
such articles of French growth and manufacture as were 
necessary for the comfort of those who had not spent 
their whole lives in the wilderness ; and had not in their 
manners and customs entirely assimilated themselves to 
the savages by whom they were surrounded. Pierre was 
indeed, one who would easily take care of himself in al- 
most any situation, caring little for the government and 
less for the religion of the country, if he was but per- 
mitted peaceably to follow his favourite occupations. 

As they had before decided, Charles, Enrico and 
Christie returned to Quebec ; the former full of bright 
anticipations of the happiness he would enjoy in again 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 341 

meeting his lovely and long cherished Juli^, and the 
two latter not knowing and perhaps scarcely caring what 
the future might have in store for them. True to the 
noblest sentiment implanted in the heart of woman, the 
confiding Julie, who had lived with the strictest fidelity 
to her absent lover and husband, now received him with 
open arms and a joyful heart. O beautiful is that re- 
markable trait in the character of woman, that, in what- 
ever trials he, who has chosen her as the companion of 
his life, may be placed; whether in the enjoyment of 
wealth or suffering the privations of poverty ; a captive 
in the hands of the enemies of his country, or an exile in 
a foreign land, she ever remains his steadfast and con- 
stant friend. 

It must not be forgotten that the early conduct of 
Julie was marred by one great fault. Her sudden, se- 
cret and unjustifiable departure from the home of her be- 
loved aunt at Paris, from whom she had received the 
tender and watchful care of a mother. On reaching the 
New World she had lost no time in acknowledging her 
error, and before a year had passed, she had the satisfac- 
tion of knowing that Charles had made ample provision 
for her foster-mother against future want, and that both 
had received her full forgiveness. 

And here Enrico and Christie meet with another prin- 
cipal though quiet participant in the events of this his- 
tory, Maurice the merchant or fur trader. Since his 
first landing in New France he had remained at Quebec 
receiving the furs that were sent to him by the hunters 
and trappers, supplying them in turn with clothing, mus- 
kets and ammunition, and such articles of ornament or 


342 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


use as they required, and he was able to procure. He 
had lived a quiet life, regularly and constantly making 
additions to his wealth, and standing in the somewhat im- 
portant position of trader, as well as a negotiator be- 
tween the Europeans and the natives, thus becoming a 
useful man in his day and generation. Now his head 
was sprinkled with gray, and if the period of his ripened 
manhood had not already passed, it was, at least, slowly 
declining away. 

And there too at the little convent surmounted with the 
cross, which everywhere in New France indicated the 
route or the resting-place of the missionary, was the ever 
pious and faithful Duchesse d’ Aiguillon imparting the 
noblest instruction, and dispensing the holiest charities to 
the Hurons that gathered around the consecrated spot. 
There also beneath that sacred roof lived, though she 
rested not from her labours, that pure and blameless, 
charitable and self-denying one, known throughout all 
the Huron missions as Marie de 1’ Incarnation. From 
her lattice window she could see the venerable tree 
beneath the branches of which she had been accustomed 
to gather the Indian children for the purpose of Christian 
instruction. She, like Madame la Duchesse, was now in 
the full maturity of her powers, and both were believed 
to have attained the fullest perfection of personal and 
religious character it is permitted poor human nature to 
acquire. There we leave them ; there rest their ashes ; 
there lives their memory, and it shall live through all 
time in the hearts of their successors and followers ; for 
their souls have entered into the joys of Paradise — they 
“ shall receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown 


THE KING AND THE CROSS 


343 


from the Lord’s hand : ” — ‘‘with his right hand shall he 
cover them, and with his arm shall he protect them.” 

What shall we say of Father Enrico ? His only asso- 
ciate was now Christie the interpreter, and like him he 
spent his time indifferently with the French settlers, or 
in the neighbouring villages of the Hurons well known to 
both Europeans and native, and perhaps despised by 
both ; certainly respected by neither. Each had re- 
lapsed into the vices pertaining to their own nations with- 
out retaining more than the mere semblance of the virtues 
of either. Their history has been preserved, but their 
memory is not honoured. Possessing qualities of no 
common order Enrico had for a season, some lofty aspi- 
rations for the advancement of his own and his country’s 
fame ; but with all these his character was blotted by so 
many faults as to destroy the effect of his great purposes, 
and the end to which he came was as ignoble as his life 
might have been sublime. By prudently avoiding the 
death of the martyr, he lost the reward of immor- 
tality. 

The land of the red men during the period of this nar- 
rative was the theatre of stupendous events. The Iro- 
quois had exterminated their last powerful enemy, the 
Eries, and the missionaries who came to preach Christ 
and his cross among them, were soon after constrained to 
leave them also ; the only memorials that remained in 
the dominions of the Iroquois of their religion or of the 
government under whose auspices they had undertaken 
the enterprise, were the rude figures of the cross and the 
arms of France, sculptured, sometimes crudely and some- 
times with a show of skill upon the bark of trees in the 


344 


TEE KINO AND THE CROSS 


immense forests that then overspread their magnificent 
domain. 

The Iroquois were the lords over a vast extent of ter- 
ritory with none to molest or make them afraid. The 
fond hope of spreading the Christian religion among 
them had departed. Prayers were no more offered to 
the true God in the dialect of the Iroquois. The gods 
of their pagan ancestors were again set up and worshipped 
in the valley of the Mohawk and the Oswego, and west- 
ward to the shores of the Niagara. But there has come 
down to the present period, through the almost impene- 
trable darkness of the past, and by the uncertain light of 
tradition, the story of a great battle that was fought near 
Tu-shu-way, long years afterwards between the descend- 
ants of that small remnant of the Eries, who, escaping 
at the time of the general overthrow of their nation, had 
fled beyond the Mississippi. Tradition assigns the burial- 
place of this last remnant of the Eries to certain small 
mounds or tumuli, to be found not many years ago in the 
vicinity of the reputed conflict, and there terminates the 
tragic story. 

Since that day nearly two centuries and a half have 
passed away, and what a change is there from the life of 
a purely savage race resisting the encroachments of civ- 
ilization, and the wild scenes where that life was begun, 
perfected and ended ! A few only of one of the once 
powerful fivefold league, the Senecas, now wander about 
the borders of the ancient Tu-shu-way, filling up as it 
were, the gap between barbarism and civilization; but 
they, like the rest of the great Confederacy, are destined 
soon to pass away forever. 


TBE KING AND TEE CROSS 


345 


The old time battle-fields, the arenas of those war en- 
kindling strifes between the Iroquois and the Eries, are 
now the abode of civilized man ; where once were kindled 
the council fires, and held the savage festival, and per- 
haps, performed the human sacrifice, is heard the hum of 
a city and the ceaseless voice of the mechanic arts. The 
worship of the Indian gods has become a thing of the 
past, and in its stead has succeeded a pure and living 
faith in Christ, while the cross is regarded more as a 
symbol, than as an object of adoration. The lilies of the 
Bourbons flourish not in our soil ; the British Lion comes 
not into the ancient hunting grounds of the Iroquois; 
but republican feelings fill the hearts of the people, and 
republican institutions overspread the land. How won- 
derful the change ! How glorious the consummation ! 
May it endure to the end of time. 


FINIS 



\ 



i 















